


You Can Owe Me

by OhMyPosh



Category: Warehouse 13
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, F/F, I'm not joking - Freeform, Lots of Angst, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-08
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-08-29 20:20:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 46,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8504080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhMyPosh/pseuds/OhMyPosh
Summary: After the inevitable realization that things are not working out with Pete, Myka returns home to find some space to think. Eventual Bering & Wells. Slow burn.





	1. Every story starts somewhere

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After hitting a wall with this story, I decided to do a bit of a reread. The amount of typos in this is/was ghastly. I'll be doing a bit of a clean up of the story and its details before moving the plot forward. Thank you all for your love, support, & patience. -Posh

It didn’t take long (longer than Myka was proud of), to realize that things between her and Pete weren’t working out. Somewhere between his tongue-in-cheek jokes about finding Helena (in print of course) in their bed at night and Myka’s growing restlessness, they had each realized the silent truth that had become deafening. It just wasn’t working. 

A call from Myka’s mom was their lifesaver. She was needed back at the store while her father underwent surgery on his shoulder, an accident in the shop or so she gathered. The reason wasn’t important, as her mother went on about anatomy and procedural approaches, Myka knew this would she would allow to leave the Warehouse without guilt for at least a month as he recovered. It was, in the very least, the perfect excuse to put some space between Myka and the inevitable. 

So it was with faux dismay that Myka found herself making up her bags and gathering books for the trip. The irony of packing up her beloved literary treasures only to unpack them above the bookshop did not escape her. Lovingly she placed them one-by-one in the partially filled box she had long ago discarded in the back of her...now their... closet. Emptying it first would mean spending more time in a room she had already grown uncomfortable in. 

“Hey Mykes, you need any help in here?” Pete asked, sweeping around the door frame of their shared room. 

“Actually, I think I’ve got it all handled.” She replied with a small upturn of her lips. 

And then silence. 

The same silence that had followed them for the past 6 months on long drives back to the bed and breakfast, on plane rides, and walks through town on ping-less nights. It was obvious that they had grown hesitant of one another, too concerned that they may give themselves away to the other if too much was said. 

Pete was no dummy, not when it came to Myka. He knew she was unhappy but his attempts to change that only lead to more silence. His jokes, his efforts to ring a smile from her stiff composure, they seemed to fail more and more swiftly. He loved her but their love only seemed to cause more unease. 

“Well if you need any help carrying these boxes down, just yell!” He offered as he quickly turned on his heels and headed back downstairs. 

Pete's heavy footsteps on the wood stairs were Myka's clue that she was once again alone. She didn’t want to be cruel, she couldn’t bare to see Pete’s heart broken again but was this worth the price of their friendship? She wasn't abandoning him. Not really. Just...taking a moment. 

With a deep sigh, she sat back on her heels as the last book was added to the collection. Soon. Soon she would be gone and they would have some time to find themselves again. Separate selves, that is. If only she knew how to encourage that without, well, saying it. Without triggering that insecure teenage boy that always lived inside of Pete.

———————————————————  
“You better bring me something back!” Claudia squealed, pulling Myka into a tight, rib-breaking hug.

“I’m going to be watching the shop; unless you are in the market for a first edition there won’t be much to bring back.” Myka laughed, softly patting Claudia on the back. Too tight of a hug may tip her off to Myka's true intentions. It needed to see casual. Her going had to seem mundane. 

Claudia stepped back with a grimace, “okay, so maybe a keychain from the gas station?”

“Sure, Claude, whatever you want. Keychains for days.”

“What’s this about chains?” Pete proudly asked, walking back into the B&B. A small bead of sweat making its way down the side of his face. 

Myka rolled her eyes and smiled. “All good?”

“All good, you know they may just have a few books where you are going, Mykes.” Pete offered, pulling Claudia into a side hug. "Maybe you didn't need to take your entire collection?!"

“I think you might just be right, Lattimer.” It felt weird. She hadn’t called him that in ages. This was weird. "And it's far from entirety, I promise."

“Okay… I’m going to get out of her before you two start doing the sad lovebird goodbye thing.” Claudia explained, pulling out of Pete’s embrace and awkwardly darted out of sight.

And there the silence was again. 

The car was all packed and it would be a long drive ahead of her, she saw no reason to put off the goodbye any longer. 

“I’ll call you when I get there safe.” Myka offered, not quite meeting his gaze. Why is it that floors become so much more interesting when you're praying to be anywhere but here?

“Or when you stop for gas and those sweets you swear you never eat.” He responded with a hollow chuckle.

“I will miss you.” She finally lets herself admit. Myka notices a slight relaxing of Pete's shoulders and she knows they are walking a thin line here.

“I know you will, I’ll miss you too. Now go get on the road before I try and come with you. Think your dad likes me anymore after the last time we visited?” He's joking, she thinks, that's got to be a good sign. 

“You knocked over the entire Science Fiction section, I think he still is grumbling about the boy with thumbs for feet.” Myka laughs stepping towards him. Maybe this won't be a complete train wreck after all.

“Just as well, his shop smells like dust.”

“Hey, I like the way it smells.” Myka adds, wrapping her arms around Pete’s midsection. 

“I know you do. Be safe.”


	2. and then builds from there

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Myka hits the road and reality hits back, will Myka be a big girl about her circumstances?

Myka took her time driving back home, her father never opened the shop on Sundays which gave her an extra day to enjoy the hauntingly familiar scenery. Much to her own embarrassment, she made numerous trips into gas stations in search of Twizzlers and the occasional gaudy keychain for Claudia. In the very least, she could stand by that promise.

While the drive itself was fairly uneventful, one flat landscape leading only to another, Myka used the time to organize her thoughts. She and Pete were at an official standstill, her father was going under the knife any day now, and she hadn’t heard from Helena in months. Not that the latter really mattered, just a thought needing a place. A thought that wormed its way into every nook and cranny that Myka dare take her eyes off of.

She loved Pete, everyone at the Warehouse did regardless of the side eye looks and annoyed groans towards his predictable jokes and unfortunately advertised bodily functions. She was not, however, in love with Pete. He was safe, it made him incredibly attractive at the time with the Warehouse supposedly moving. He was a safe bet, a loaded deck.

The weeks that followed, however, only proved to bombard Myka to face her own motivations in encouraging Pete’s affections. The regents deciding to keep the Warehouse in its current location was a more bitter than sweet announcement to Myka's ears. The remaining five months of their relationship were filled with what felt like a close friendship with the unfortunate benefit of physical affection. Unfortunate due to Pete’s avid love of Funyuns and everything-bagels, her own cowardice, and maybe even something more.

While she had not kept in touch with her father, Myka now felt closer to him knowing that she was not the great disappointment she had always believed herself to be. This advancement seemed to be the stand alone change after reading her father’s novel. It existed, she knew it did, and in many ways it was a relief. Spending a month or more with him and her mother, however, promised some anticipated discomfort as they found new places in each other's lives but anything was an improvement from sharing a bedroom with the only person you can’t be honest with. 

Maybe not “only." There was Helena. Helena with her Giselle and their hopping from city to city enjoying Giselle’s flexible schedule and access to numerous social circles. In stark contrast to her previous relationship, Helena had become quite the successful communicator when it came to sending Claudia postcards from around the world. Often times she would sketch her most entertaining inventive ideas in the corner, only to lead Claudia to an obsessive streak of “trial and error” to actually build the thing. 

The scattered writings and drawings around the B&B often gleaned a smile from Myka. If she tried hard enough, she could almost imagine she was still with them. Myka received mail as well, inconsistent emails when internet access and time appeared to be in abundance for Helena. Most often Helena would be sharing humorous tales of her travels, ruining Myka's moments of fantasy. Myka often responded in kind with more questions and to share in the horror of the situations Helena found herself in. She was a magnet for the unbelievable. Myka offered very little of her own life to Helena, between knowing that she was happily away from the Warehouse and her own discontent with “Peter,” it felt unimportant to divulge much in return. 

Towards the end of Myka’s drive, she received one such spontaneous email. Knowingly too excited for her own good, Myka decided to drive another 50 miles before she would allow herself to detail her efforts and pull over only to indulge in Helena’s whims once more. 

Subject: RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE:RE: Prague offered much more than I had intended  
Body:  
Myka,  
I am terribly sorry for the lull in our correspondence. To say that things have turned sour would be putting it rather lightly. Giselle and I have decided to part ways and I’ve spent the last bit of time attempting to save face in your eyes. I don't know what I would start such a thing now but...

I can almost hear your chiding now “the great H.G. Wells shopping for studio apartments in the dead of Harlem, who would believe it?” Well, it’s true, I have been and I’m happy to inform you that I’ve found a lovely place with some darling neighbors. It’s quite a welcome change from Giselle’s home in Oxford. She always was quite the control freak. That was not kind of me but, it was honest. I am afraid I haven’t been entirely honest with anyone of late. Perhaps that is how one finds themself in an emergency apartment search situation.

Oh dear, look at me now. Do not allow me to take up any more of your time, darling, with my woes. You know me and my flare for the dramatics, I could write books on the sort… and have. 

Send my love to Claudia, Steven, and Peter…perhaps a more friendly love to Peter than you are familiar with as of late. (Claudia was far too easy to break on the subject of your and Peter’s discovered affections. You left me no other option than to pry.) Happy for you both, you deserve all the love in the world. 

~Helena

 

Okay, so maybe Myka hadn’t told Helena anything at all about her and Pete. Maybe she had just allowed her to believe that things had continued as they always had on the job: snag, bag, & tag. And maybe, just maybe, she and Pete had been able to hide their growing awkwardness towards one another from the rest of the team. Maybe. 

Myka looked around at the shoulder of the highway, attempting to decide whether or not she would be a big girl about the whole situation and give in to Helena's curiosity. Though one glance at the empty Twizzler bags and the pitiful scene had Myka back on the road and barreling towards the bookshop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I would LOVE to hear your feedback and see how you guys are feeling about the story. I will try and update this as much as possible throughout the week. I'm actually pretty excited about where this could lead, nothing is decided yet but...


	3. and then some detail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Myka attempts to settle into her old childhood room but things seem off, how will she find comfort in this new environment?

It’s not like she expected a grand “welcome home” party, but she did hope that she would be welcomed by something other than a few grunts from her father and an apologetic smile from her mother.

He’s in pain, Myka reminds herself. He's in pain and that's enough to make anyone a bit more prickly.

She quickly excused herself to her childhood bedroom. Not much had changed, the same twin bed sat in the corner of the room, opposite an old wooden desk still littered with books. Myka took a moment to see which books were most worn, favorites that had been left behind. The Time Machine. How one could leave such a thing behind met with its importance now was enough to scare her from any further exploration.

Looking for an escape, Myka headed down to the car for her boxes. She couldn't help but feel just a little nostalgic about this trip. She must have done it a million times when she was in college but now… now it felt entirely strange. As if they could do it right for once, be a family. She’d grown both physically and mentally. She’d seen things. It made such a simple existence seemalmost impossible but plenty worthwhile.

Carrying the boxes upstairs seemed easier when she was at the bottom of them. 4 trips back and forth proved exhausting and Myka heavily collapsed on the bed amid her belongings.

Her mother called for her around dinner time. Mildly embarrassed that she had passed out so early in the afternoon, Myka nervously ran her fingers through her curls in hope of mildly taming them. All hope was lost, however, when her hair decided to follow the lead of Medusa herself rather than any functional human being. Some things, she supposed, would never change. Having lost in this element of control, she joined her family at the dinner table. 

“How nice of you to join us” her father commented as Myka made her way to her assigned seat. Tracy always sat closest to Warren and Myka next to her mother, it kept the peace.

With a nod to tradition, Myka couldn’t help but accept Warren's demeanor as being a symptom that would soon be treated....she hoped. 

“It smells wonderful, mom.” She replied instead, changing the subject.

Jeannie politely smiled but offered no conversational piece to guide away from her father’s obvious annoyance. 

“Where's that boyfriend of yours?” Her father asks, picking up his fork and knife not bothering to make eye contact.

“Pete?” Myka chokes, attempting to take a sip from her full water glass.

“Unless you have another.” Her father replies looking over the table’s offerings.

“No, no. Just the one. I’m sure he’s just fine. He's not sure if you’ve forgiven him yet but he's good.” Myka concludes setting her napkin on her lap. 

“When he becomes less of a boy and more of a man, we can talk.” He responded, digging his fork into a pork tenderloin. 

Myka wasn't sure how to respond, he was reaching an uncomfortably familiar cranky that was growing more difficult to dismiss.

Dinner was mostly eaten in silence, Myka’s “mmmm’s” and “ahhhh’s” were met by her father’s curious looks and his raised yet furrowed eyebrows. 

While his pain might explain the irritation, it only seemed to feed Myka's growing anxiety.

“If it’s alright with you two, I’ll go upstair and unpack…” Myka offered, folding her napkin onto her now empty plate. 

“Oh well, I’ve made dessert.” Jeannie hastily replied as if trying to draw the moment out even further.

“Did you see how many boxes she brought? She’s got plenty of work on her plate before dessert is earned." Warren barker before stabbing his fork into another slab of meat.

The redness in Myka's face could easily be attributed to embarrassment of her packing skills but the rising heat in her veins challenged anyone from misinterpreting her true feelings. “Alright, I’ll be upstair if you need me. Thank you for the dinner, mom. It was delicious.”  
_______________________

Upstairs Myka negotiated which books she would place on her old book shelf and which will remain in the cardboard boxes. It seemed almost rude to leave such beloved items in such a barbaric place but the scarce furniture left her no other option. It certainly offered less comfort than did the B&B.

“did.” Does? Did?

Myka wondered if that room was a thing of the past or something she might return to. Would it feel empty now without Pete?

“Honey, I brought you some pie.” Myka’s mother knocked on the door carrying a humble plate of dessert. 

“Mom, you didn’t have to do that,” Myka replied, pushing curls behind her ear.

“Well, your father has decided to be especially prickly so it only seemed fitting.” She responded setting the pie on the wooden desk.

“Do you think that’s normal?” Myka genuinely asked, not feeling entirely pleased with her father’s treatment towards her return.

“Oh, I think he just struggles to show you he cares.” 

“Story of my life,” Myka grumbled as she moved the boxes off the bed and dropped them in the small closet. 

Jeannie didn't stay long. She shuffled awkwardly in the door while wholeheartedly reminding her that "he just wants you to be happy & successful." 

“I work for the government and I get to do research all day long, what could be better?” Myka asked, finally eyeing the offered dessert. 

“Oh you know your father, he’s always been about reaching the top, doing your best.”

“From the man who still runs a bookshop in a small town.” Myka grumbled.

“Now look who’s grumpy.” her mother commented as she left Myka with her high sugar treat. 

I’m not grumpy. Myka thinks as she digs her fork into a delicious piece of pumpkin pie. Not grumpy at all. 

______________________________

It’s 2AM when Myka thinks about Helena’s email again. It comes as a surprise to her that it could truly escape her mind at all. She began to wonderwhat good an explanation would do regarding her current placement and how this sudden development might disturb the balance of things. A balance that she seemed to be on the blind end of. In the end, she decided to play her part and offered little explanation of her life at the Warehouse, focusing on Helena’s newest dwelling. She asked about Helena’s plans and what really happened, trying not to pry too much though Helena had opened the door to such behavior. She chose to revel in the simple enjoyment of still being in touch and ended the message with a “happy to hear from you.”

As her eyelids become heavy, Myka recognized the indistinguishable sound of an incoming email to her computer.


	4. Plotty, plotty

She waits until after early breakfast to check her email. Helena.

Of course it’s Helena. She knew it would be. Somehow. Even just the possible chance that it wasn't though was both disappointing and a relief.

It appeared that now that Myka had plenty of time on her hands, Helena had become the best communicator in the world. Why this bothers Myka, she’s not entirely certain.

She doesn’t read the email, not yet. She decided to peruse the store and see how much disarray there was to fix up before the aisles were once again passable. Surprisingly, however, the book store is pristine. Well, for said bookshop at least. 

Myka’s brows furrowed together as she examined the dustless cases and possibly shiny wood floors. She’d never seen the shop this clean, not even when she was taking care of it after school.  
“Can I help you?” 

  


Myka startles and nearly reaches for her Tesla which would not be not there.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” the voice moves closer from behind a bookshelf, “I’m James.”

Myka looked around the store, uncertain as to how “James” had gotten in without her having unlocked the doors. She notes his outstretched hand and warily moves to meet it. 

“Myka.”

“I know. Your father has told me all about you.”

“Dad knows you’re here?” She curses the sadness in her own voice.

“I’d hope so. He asked me to watch the shop when he goes under the knife.”

Myka flinches at the thought. Sure he hasn't always been the best father but she couldn't handle her new chance with him being lost to some shoulder surgery.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean...” James offered, moving close to set a hand on Myka’s now crossed arms. 

“Wait.” Myka starts, noting his hand moving closer to her.

“I’m sorry.” He quickly withdrawals. 

“No, no, no. Not the touching, he asked you to do what?” Myka reels back in return.

“Watch the shop? You know dust, organize, carry the heavy boxes around.” He explained blandly, making small gestures towards the countless books.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Myka nearly cackles. 

James looked at her in confusion

“You don’t get it do you?” Myka laughs. She feels bad for him. It's truly sad how much of a fool he has been turned into.

“Um… no?” James answers, moving a hand to the back of his neck.

“The book shop, the attractive guy, he set this up.” Myka mumbled to herself looking around at the all-too-clean shop. “I should have known! Of course this is what he had planned. He doesn’t like Pete so he’s trying to set us up!” 

“Did you just call me attractive?” James asks with a devilish grin.

“Oh like you didn’t know. And you clean! You cleaned the store and you look like that! Why else would he ask you to be here now.” She heads towards the stairs to confront her father when James makes a final attempt to actually hold a conversation with the frazzled figure before him.

“I cleaned because no buyers are going to be interested in a dusty store.” he hollers after her.

This stops Myka mid step. “Buyers?”

“BUYERS? What do you mean BUYERS?” Her tone and volume climbs from amazement to horrified betrayal in seconds.

“I’m a realtor, commercial spaces are kind of a reach for me but I’ve known your parents since I moved here a few years back.” James moved closer. He didn’t mean to sideswipe her like this. “He didn’t tell you…”

“No, he didn’t. He’s selling the store and you just happen to be a good-looking realtor. Bring out the cameras.” 

“Cameras?” 

Myka sat down on the steps, her head falling into her hands. “I can’t decide what’s worse.”

“What are the options?” James asked, taking a seat beside her.

“Selling the store or thinking he’s trying to set me up with someone he ‘approves’ of.” 

“Why not both?” Warren's voice comes bounding down the stairs as the two are jolted upright.

“Seems you two are getting along just fine!” Warren notes, standing in place in the doorway.

Myka’s first instinct is to move away from James, having not notices how close they had been sitting.

“Dad, you’re selling the store?! You couldn’t have told me this over the phone?” Myka balks in disgust.

“You would have stopped me, now you can help James get it ready for sale.” He responds, gesturing towards the two. “Wouldn’t hurt for you to get to know a nice guy like him.”

“I know plenty of nice guys! Pete IS a nice guy! And I….care about him!” Myka nearly yelled up the stairs but her declaration sounded almost like a question as it nears its end and she notably backs off.

“Uh huh. Just as I thought.” Warren added, turning his back on the two as he leaves.

“Pete?” James asks leaning back on the bannister.  
“My partner.” Myka responded with a large nod. 

“Does your dad always get so uptight about who you work with?” James asked with a laugh.

“Oh um… well Pete’s… Pete is Pete. He’s an acquired taste.” She knows she has wimped out. She heard it in her own voice before. She’s not proud of it but what else would she say? “Did he tell you why he’s selling the store at least?” She asks looking for a change of conversations. 

“The medical bills are pretty steep for this kind of procedure, I guess.” James offered, heading back down the stairs into the shop. “I guess he figures that his mobility is worth more than all of this.” He gestures to the old shelves and worn down wood floors. “Should go for a pretty good price, should sell pretty quick.” 

“You have no idea.” Myka says marching towards the front door of the shop, “you have no idea.”


	5. A Request is Made

Myka wasn't sure how to get to Mrs. F. She half expected her to be around the corner as she stomped out of the bookstore.

Instead, it took a series of calls to Claudia and even one to Artie who gave her an access to number to call, she let it ring 4 times, and then hung up with no further attempts at contact.

Not surprisingly, this wielded no response and Myka retreated back to her bedroom after pacing an empty alley for nearly an hour.

Obsessively checking her phone, Myka couldn't ignore Helena's email any longer.

Darling Myka,

I'm afraid to bore you with details, it would be unfair to us both. As I'm sure you are well aware of my stubbornness, I'm afraid I let my time with Giselle drag on rather longer than was necessary. Her father was not fond of me which only made me take an even stronger liking to her. 

It was silly, I know. 

I've found a small apartment for the time being, I'm afraid to say I've actually had to start being more financially conscious while living on my own. There's a lovely little shop downstairs run by an ace chess player name Virgil. He's bested me twice now. This will not do.

I would like to hear of your life, Myka. I know there must be a reason for not telling me about Peter. I'd hope, however, that after all my fumbles with affection you would know that I would be more supportive than skeptical. 

Claudia will no doubt spill your secrets regardless of my pleading that she wouldn't. I do wish to offer you some sort of privacy. There's something quite lovely about hearing the words coming from your lips instead.

Until next,  
Helena

Her lips. Helena was thinking about her lips. And now...now Myka was thinking of hers. It was this exact kind of nonesense she truly did not need right now.

A knock on the door jarred Myka from taking that thought any further. James stood awkwardly in the small hallway with a slightly mischievous smirk on his face.  
"hey... sorry to bother you. Your dad is down in the shop helping this lady but she's insisting that you held a book for her? I looked around the counter and back in storage but didn't see anything."

It was strange. She hadn't spoke to a single person and without question she knew it had worked. As Myka neared the stairs to the shop, the voice she heard was unmistakable.  
"Yes, Mr. Bering it is a beautiful building and I have no doubt about its historical significance to the community..."

Without missing a beat, Myka jumped into action.  
"Irene! You should have let me know you'd be dropping by today. I would have had it wrapped for you. I've got this dad."

Warren wandered off leaving the two to speak. Myka chose lead Mrs. Frederick to the far corner of the shop in search of privacy.

"I believe it best if we do not continue the conversation you wish to have with me without a proper cup of coffee. I believe there is a place just down the street? I will meet you there in 20 minutes. I must urge you to think about what you are about to ask. If they consider your offer, things will never be the same for your family."

With that Mrs. F left Myka standing by the door with a dusty book in hand one she couldn't remember picking up. It's title: The Shape of Things to Come 

Myka wanted to be better than this. She wanted to not want to open its cover. She was, however, only human and as she turned its hardback cover over, she was met with one of Charles' signatures. A lie. A good one but a lie nonetheless. 

\-----------------------------  
Sure enough, Mrs. Frederick had found the Thompson's bakery and coffee shop just down the street. Myka had thought to clean herself up, untie her hair perhaps but what use was that now that Mrs. F would know it was just for her. As she made her way through the doors of the bakery for the first time in over 20 years, Myka was greeted by looks of awe.

"Myka Bering, is that you? Bless my heart it is! Gabe, get out here Myka Bering has come home!!!" 

Mabel Thompson had been a lunch lady at Myka's school when she was growing up. She nearly turned the town upside down with her announcement that she would be pursuing her love of the culinary arts by opening up a shop where the old travel agency used to be. Gabe, Mabel's husband, a carpenter by trade made her dream store become a reality. She had heard from her parents that they two had been able to make quite the profit and a sturdy retirement fund they would no doubt soon take advantage of. Myka had worked there on the weekends in high school between her shifts at the bookstore. Anything really to get out and see smiling people. Her ironclad so-called rejection of sugar was forged between these walls.

While Myka could appreciate the affection that the Thompson's had always held for her, the welcome back was all too much. She could feel her cheeks burning as she made her excuses to join Mrs. F at a table in the back. 

"You are well loved here, Myka Bering." Mrs. F noted as Myka pulled a chair out and sat down across from her.

Still flustered, Myka attempted to cool her cheeks with the back of her hands.

"I'm certain that many of these people would have no idea that the little Myka that used to sweep this shop was a top secret agent of one of the government's greatest secrets."

At this Myka balked. Mrs. F had never been so out-spoken or careless with her words like this before.

Mrs. F directed Myka's attention to a framed photo above the register where a young Myka Bering was captured with wild curls, big eyes, and a lopsided grin, holding a broom while wearing an oversized flannel and rolled up jeans.

"I see you've grown into that shirt" Mrs. F redirected Myka's attention to the very flannel she was wearing.

Myka was a little embarrassed by this. How old was this shirt?! She had come here ready to do business and yet here she was being thrown down memory lane. Any power she felt she had had sunk into the memories of being so young.

"Mrs. Frederick..."

"Agent Bering, you called me here for a reason but it is imperative that we are both aware of what that reason is."

"I want the Regents to purchase my dad's bookshop. Use it as a safe house, a meeting location, whatever they need but let the shop remain in business with me at the helm."

Mrs. Frederick offered no reply. She simply finished her cup of coffee, tucked a few dollars beneath the saucer, stood and left the bakery.

\----------------------------------  
The phone rang twice before someone on the other end picked up.

"Pete, we need to talk."


	6. A Second Calling

"Pete, we need to talk."

"Uh okay, Mykes. I got a second now. Steve is scouting out a location for our super top secret sting operation."

"It's not going work."

"Hey, that's not nice. Maybe we don't have your super smart book brain with us but this is practically foolproof."

"Pete, not the plan. Us."

"Oh. That. Um, yeah."

"Um, yeah?"

"Well, Mykes, I mean this is kind of surprising but I don't think in the way you thought. I kind of thought that you leaving was it."

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, you know. You packed your stuff up and went to stay with your parents like you did last time."

"Pete, my dad is having surgery."

"So we're not broken up? Because if not I owe you an apology or two."

"Well no but now we most definitely are! And seriously Pete??? I've only been gone for a week."

"Hey, you left! And you were calling to break up with me anyway so you can't really be that mad. We haven't spoken since you got to your parents place. That seems pretty definite."

"I was calling to say that I was probably going to be staying longer than was planned and it wouldn't be fair drawing the inevitable out."

"Oh. Well...consider us even! And wait, you aren't coming back???"

"I didn't say that, I just don't know what's going to happen and I need to be here for my dad."

"When will you know?

Soon enough. I'll let you know as soon as I can. Oh and do me a favor, don't tell Claudia anything yet. I need to take care of some things before anything gets to her."

"Okay, uhhhh, sure. I guess. You'll let me know if I can do anything to help right?"

"Of course. Thanks, Pete."

"Sleep well, Mykes."  
\---------------------------------------

The next few days fly by in a blur. 

Myka threw herself into reorganizing the bookstore according to consumer traffic flow reports she read each night. Moving the books alone, exhausted her but James' ever-present willing-to-help attitude nearly drove her over the edge. 

In the early days it was obvious that James felt the tension of the situation. He tried to crack a few jokes as he could. They were often met but a raised eyebrow from Myka or with an even longer to-do list. In her mind, he was the ticking clock that was working against her. She wasn't sure how long it would take the Regents to consider her request but she knew she would need to have a plan B in place regardless. The Regents had a tendency to be unpredictable and Myka wasn't about to start trusting them now. She had found a number of grants that she had begun applying for, it was looking favorable for her as the building was a historical landmark after all. A few literary and education grants were up for grabs and it wouldn't hurt to apply to a few of those as well.

"Why do all of this if the shop is going to be sold anyway?" James asked after the 5th straight day of bookstore overhaul. 

Myka was mid-bite into a sandwich when she realized that she hadn't heard his voice in nearly a day.

"I can't let him sell this place. While he'll never admit it, I swear he planned to die on that ladder over there." Myka gestured to the warn-down rolling ladder on the far wall. "He just needs some time and money and I can get my hands on both of those right now. I will."

"Won't you need to go back to...what is it that you do?" James asked, scratching his head in an almost iconic fashion.

"I.R.S."

"Oh."

"Yep." Myka replied taking another big bite of her sandwich.

"He won't let you stay."

"Excuse me?" Myka responds, throwing him a leveling gaze.

"He already feels too guilty that you are here."

"He's always had a funny way of showing his feelings...."

"I was a little surprised when I first met you. I expected you to come floating into the room, not to be wearing baggy clothes, big glasses, and have frizzy hair."

"You're either an asshole or a horrible flirt." She responded, taking an even bigger bite of sandwich.

"Maybe both? Either way, you really sold yourself short on that first impression. You're a big deal to people here." James concedes with a slight blush.

"Both is probably right. I'm not sure about the latter." Myka remarked, wiping her face with a paper towel from a nearby roll.

"He means well, you know. I just don't think he knows how to communicate very well. Least of all with you." 

"And what makes you so wise?"

"Unlike you, I talk to him. He won't let you put your life on hold for him. Not when you have a guy, a career, and friends elsewhere."

Myka crumbled up the paper towel in her hand before throwing it at James.

"We'll see about that."

\---------------------------------

Two rings and Pete answered her call once again.

"Hey stranger, any news on the M.I.A.-ness?"

"Pete, I need you to come break up with me. It's got to be ugly."


	7. Game On

"Pete, I need you to come break up with me. It's got to be ugly."

"Uhhh, maybe I misunderstood, Mykes, but I thought we already took care of that?" Pete said scratching the base of his neck.

"We did but I need your help and you owe me." Myka nearly barked into the phone. 

"Owe you? What did I do?" 

"Well you can tell me about what you had to apologize for or you can just take my word for this."

"Aaaaand we've got a winner! What am I doing and who am I doing it for?" Pete asked, ducking into his bedroom for a bit of privacy. 

"I'll text you the address, bring Claudia." Myka responded, ending the call. 

\---------------------------------  
"Any chance you're going to tell me why we're on the most boring road trip ever?" Claudia asked as she skimmed through a million tweets she'd already read. 

"I can't pass up a chance to fight for her Claud, I love her. She left us before and I just let her do it. I won't let that happen again." 

Petes eyes were on the horizon but his head was wondering what kind of miracle he should be praying for. 

About half way to their destination, Claudia took to the wheel and Pete finally had time to study the email Myka had sent in preparation. 

It appeared she had thought about everything. 

Pete filled Claudia in on his super sappy, totally novel idea of the good old white knight routine to bring Myka back with them. Fully knowing the email depicted anything but this. 

Claudia's hands tightened on the steeringwheel and her foot punched the gas, "One Prince Charming coming up!" 

\---------------------------------

Pete and Claudia made it to the Bering and Sons bookstore in record time. After dropping their bags off at the hotel and "freshening up" as Pete says as he sprayed on another layer of cologne, they headed inside. 

The clang of the bell of the door was the only warning Myka was given before she was practically thrown the floor by Claudia's overly enthusiastic embrace.

"Oh my god, Claude! What are you doing here?" Myka feigned shock as she made eyes with Pete who was keeping his space as he was instructed to do.

"We came to save you! ....and from the looks of this place, we are just in time!" Claudia joyfully admitted, taking in the stacks of misplaced books and piles of dust Myka's had unearthed from the deep crevices of the shop. 

"Save me? What are you- Pete what's going on?" Myka's eyebrows could win an Oscar with the believable theatrics she' was putting forth.

"Last time you left, I didn't fight for you. I didn't come after you. I'm not going to make the same mistake again." Pete admirably declared to the room. 

"Pete, I told you last night I can't come back right now." Myka retorted, finding a good mix of shock and hurt in her voice. 

"I know what you said but this can't be right, we belong together. Don't you want to be with your family?" Pete nearly begged taking a purposeful step into Myka's personal space, placing his hands over her crossed arms. 

Suddenly feeling incredibly out of place, Claudia feigned interest in a bookshelf close enough to the action but far enough to seem respectful. 

"Pete, I am with my family. They need me and I'm sorry but this isn't fair to me." Myka three her hands in the air and stepped out of his reach. 

"Fair?!" Petes voice was picking up just as Myka had planned, "You want to talk about fair?!?!?!"

"Pete please, my dad is sleeping upstairs. You're going to wake him" Myka's performance was convincing enough to cause Claudia to take up residence along Myka's side. 

"Pete! Cool it dude, we don't mess with old dudes." Claudia warned him, mimicking Myka's crossed arms and warning glare.

"Oh heaven forbid I should actually say what I'm feeling. Heaven forbid anyone ever hear what I have to say. Let it wake him! I'm sick of being your second choice. Myka I'm sick of never being good enough for you. I've spent our entire relationship telling myself that I'm enough for you but I never will be and now I can finally see why!"

At this Claudia's confusion was clear. She shifted her weight away from Myka as if trying to see what had caused Pete's sudden epiphany. 

"Pete, please you have to understa-" Myka's voice quivers at just the right time and she can hear the floorboards above creek with her father's sudden concern. 

"OH I UNDERSTAND. It doesn't take a genius to realize you've settled for me. Well guess what, I'm setting you free. I free you of your obligation. Stay here. Stay anywhere as long as I don't have to look you in the eyes and know your heart is somewhere else." Pete yelled, noting the elderly form that has now appeared at the top of the stairs. 

"Wait. What...Pete please, LISTEN TO ME." Myka pleads as she realizes that Pete is going off script. This wasn't a part of the plan, he was flying solo. Either his reading skills were not what they should have been or Pete was pulling from personal experience. If she didn't do something, the entire bookstore was going to be privy to the private desire of one-half of Bering and Wells and with Claudia present the other half would soon find out. 

"I'm done listening to you, now you can be with the person you really want to be with. Don't think I haven't noticed. I see things, I hear things-" Pete's face was turning brand new shades of red as Myka's body tensed, fearing for the worst. 

"Young man, you will lower your voice and you will leave this premises before I reach the bottom of these stairs or I will throw you out." Warren's voice boomed from his elevated position. 

Myka took a long deep breath. Sometimes you just have to go with the moment, she thought. Use what you have. "I admit it. You're right. I'm in love with someone else." 

Like a domino effect, Pete, Claudia, and Warren's jaws dropped. 

"You have every right to be mad," Myka quietly admitted "I haven't been fair to you and you deserve to know the truth."

Pete attempted to collect himself, this whole show had gone seriously off the books and he's not even sure what's even happening now. He knew it was his fault but how could he have known all of that would just flood to the surface??

"I love James. I want to stay with James." Myka conceded. 

The dropping of a heavy box was the only sign of a fifth person in the shop.

Stepping out from behind a row of bookshelves, James face was void of color, "...you.... you what?" 

"YEAH, you what???" Claudia echoed. 

Pete's silence spoke for itself. 

"It's okay, we should tell them. They deserve to know." Myka said, making her way to the place where James stood frozen. 

"Boy, you better explain yourself this second or Mr. Lattimer will not be the only one kissing the pavement." Warren warned. 

"Uh, wha-we-uh...." James took a long momeng, looking Myka straight in the eyes, he could see her cogs running. "No."

"Excuse me, son?" Warren asked, making a very slow descent down the creaking stairs. 

"Please..." Myka pleaded under her breath, "please."

One more long, drawn out breath and James stepped out into the open area now filled by two very confused, angry figures and one small highly stupified one. 

"No...we haven't been fair to you or Pete."


	8. Batter Up

"No...we haven't been fair to you or Pete."

Maybe this wasn't the plan, Myka thinks, maybe it's not so ideal but what choice did she truly have in the matter?

Moving to take James' hand in her own Myka looked Pete in the eyes, "I'm sorry, Pete. You were right."

Pete doesn't move, he doesn't even make a sound. His head is spinning at this development and he can't quite decide if he should be playing the pissed off boyfriend or the truly betrayed ex-boyfriend. He hardly got a second to decide before Claudia had already made a decision.

"Are you kidding me? What the frack, Myka? You've got to be kidding me!" Claudia's hands were pulling at her hair. "We drive all this way and this, THIS?!" Claudia moved to point at James' neat khaki's and clean polo "THIS is what you are leaving us for? Leaving Pete for? You hardly even know this guy!" 

Claudia's pacing movements seem to be boiling up to a point no one wanted to see. Leaving a slightly frightened James behind her, Myka moved towards her. "Claudia, I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to be here for this. I know you wanted me back, I know you wanted us all back like it used to be but it's just not possible."

"Not possible!?! Well not now! Now that you've decided to go all...all... I don't even know what this is that's how messed up this all is." Claudia took a moment to look James in the eyes once more and turned to leave. "I'll be in the car, Pete." 

Myka started after her but decided that fewer words might actually be best right now. 

"Is this true, Myka?" Warren questioned, breaking the still silence of the room. "Are you and James, is this..."

Myka took a deep breath and turned to face her father, "Yes, I'm sorry you had to see all of this dad." Turning her attention to Pete now "I'm sorry for a lot of things." 

Pete seemed to take a moment, still deciding on just how upsetting this news truly was. "I should have known, Myka, I should have known when you left that you were through with me. I know I can be a bit thick but...I just wish you would have told me it was more than that." Turning to Warren now Pete offered the very least he can "Mr. Bering, you have a wonderful daughter and I know you never thought I was good enough for her... well... it seems that that's true. I'm sorry to disturb your nap." 

He doesn't say goodbye to Myka, he doesn't dare say anything to James. He just left. The mere thought of him having to come all this way just to put on a show for the woman who would rather be with a practical stranger than him wasn't worth it and he couldn't remember why he thought it was. 

"Warren, I apologize. I know this wasn't the plan-" James tried to rectify the tension in the room upon Pete's departure.

"Wasn't the plan? You were supposed to sell the shop, well you did a pretty good job of selling something else as well." Warren's voice is rather matter of fact, making it nearly impossible to read.

"Dad-" Myka began only to be cut off by Warren's raised hand.

"I think I've heard enough for one day, I'm going to finish my rest." and with that Myka and James were left to awkwardly stare at the now empty staircase. 

"So you love me?" James finally asked.

"I think you know better than that." Myka retorted, finding a stack of books that needed shelving.

"Okay, fine. Not "love" but you do like me." James responded, messing with an adjacent pile of dictionaries. 

"I like my freedom, I like being able to choose for myself what and who I am with. That's what I like." Myka huffed back.

\---------------------------------

Anything would have been better than Claudia's ranting about how warped Myka's mind must be to want to stay there with him. Anything. Pete didn't have the heart to tell her to shut up. He wasn't sure his heart was all there anymore. What happened to the plan? What happened to them presenting as some "drifted-apart" couple who obviously didn't communicate well and would be better apart? Why couldn't he have just stuck to the script? Something about seeing Myka back in the bookstore brought everything back to the surface. The first time she left, how he never seemed to get the whole story, how his life would never be the place Myka wanted to be. So maybe it was his fault but...that prick. That coiffed asshole? It felt a whole lot better when he thought it was H.G. Myka was strung up on. 

"it just doesn't make sense! He's not even that-okay so he's super good looking but did you see Myka?! She looked like a-" Claudia's rambles suddenly slammed back into Pete's ears. 

"We had a plan." Pete finally admitted to her "We had a plan, there was supposed to be a fight. It was all scripted. See?" He threw her his phone.

Skimming the email Claudia looked up, "what the hell? Why did she plan this?!"

"She wanted to stay with the shop. Her dad didn't want her there and so, of course, she found a way to make it her only option." Pete was surprised by the calm of his own voice. 

"And you went along with this?" Claudia seemed to be re-reading the email once more looking for something she'd missed.

"I wanted her to be happy but... seeing her there. It just...it didn't feel right. The vibes were all wrong. Something wasn't right with her and it wasn't just that we weren't happy together. I lost it. I'm so tired of her never telling me the whole story." 

Claudia took a moment to respond, locking the cellphone and setting on the dashboard. "You're a good guy, Pete. Probably the last one." 

"Thanks, Claud. Just not good enough." Pete sighed.

"So the whole James guy? You knew about that?" Claud asked raising an eyebrow.

"Had no clue all she said on the phone was to bring you and then she sent the email."

"Oh... and wait, why was I supposed to be there? Claudia asked, turning in her seat to take in Pete's pained thinking face.

Finally Pete bursts into an absolute fit of laughter.

"What the frickity frack, Pete?!"

"Oh my god..." realizing he was about to give away Myka's kinda brilliant plan he composed himself "I guess she knew this was how it was going to go, I guess she wanted you there to take care of me if I handled it poorly." 

"Huh... that's messed up." Claudia responded pulling her own phone from her back pocket. 

"Yeah, it really is Claud. It really is." Looking over at her Pete knew everything was falling right back into place. "Whatcha doing now?" Pete asked trying to hide the smugness in his voice.

"Oh I am so telling H.G. about this mess."

And with that Pete's smile burst from behind his poorly crafted somber face. 

\---------------------------------

Myka spent the rest of day cleaning up the shop and pretending that it's a typical day of work while James attempted to put all the pieces together. Sure Myka seemed complex but the whole junior high drama she seemed to have planned certainly didn't go the way she had obviously hoped for. 

"You're smarter than you seem." James finally declared, wiping the dust from the front of his shirt.

"Wow, you are bad at flirting." Myka responded with raised eyebrows.

"You don't get it..." James replied as he sized up Myka's now defensive posture. "You already seem brilliant. Good night, Myka." 

The chime of the closing door was accompanied by the ding of Myka's text alert. Pete. 

"I know what you did. I didn't but now I do. Not cool but also kinda cool. You'll probably hear from HER any minute now." 

"It's taken care of, Agent Bering." 

The voice startled Myka, causing her to drop her phone on the old uneven floor of the bookshop.

"Jesus, Mrs. F. I think you can just call me Myka now." Annoyed Myka bent down and said a little prayer for her phone screen. No crack. With a sigh of relief, Myka stood back up and directed her attention to her unexpected guest. "In the market for a book?"

Mrs. Frederick almost seemed to chuckle at the thought.. if chuckling meant that her face did not move but the tension in the air seemed to dissipate. 

"More like a bookstore. The regents will be in touch as far as operations are involved when or if the time comes that they need the store's assistance." 

"You mean...?"

"That you are the sole owner of the bookstore and that your father will receive word that the government has taken it upon themselves to restore the historical building?"

"Yeah, something like that." Myka attempted words through a dropped jaw.

"Yes. Goodnight, Agent Bering I do hope you are satisfied with your little plan." 

Choosing this moment to mentally pat herself on the back, Myka closed her eyes and took a deep gratifying breath. 

"You know Mrs. F, I already-" opening her eyes, Myka knew she now just talking to herself. "Why do I even bother?" 

The only response she receives was a solitary ping from the email alert on her phone. 

Helena.


	9. Swing

Myka,

I see now why my last message has gone without reply. Well, rather I hear. It was quite a scene to witness, I have come to find out. 

At first I thought you may have been lulled to sleep by the mundaneness of my current existence but, alas, you were swept away with far more enthralling events.

Do forgive me but our dear Claudia is quite difficult to stifle when she becomes so passionate. I believe I am "up to speed" but she does speak so quickly at times. 

I would offer my condolences concerning your most recent heartbreak but from what I hear, you are doing quite well for yourself. 

Please, darling, do not take this in any way other than a caring friend reaching out but are you quite alright? 

Claudia mentioned something of your father's health and the potential selling of his beloved bookstore. 

I know I need not worry about you but forgive me for my humanity when I say that I can not fathom the feelings you must be experiencing at this time. 

I won't go on, while we both know I could in some length. I do hope to hear from you soon. 

Perhaps you can fill me in on the nature of your more recent paramour? I hear his looks are quite admirable aside from his unwanted place at your side, young Claudia is ripe with rich description. 

Oh, now I've gone and sounded like a meddlesome fool. One day I will find the appropriate words to send you that leave me with my dignity. One day. 

All my love,

~Helena 

 

Myka couldn't stop the growing grin across her face. She knew Claudia would not be able to keep the news from Helena for long, however, this must be a record. 

Certainly Myka would have told this all to Helena herself but god how pitiful it would have sounded. No, news from Claudia's rant would be far more successful in showing that Myka was quite busy herself and was moving on with the times just as Helena had before her. 

Myka decided to wait and respond the following day, perhaps over her lunch break. No need to seem as though she had nothing better to do in the evening hours. 

With a tooth-bearing grin, Myka turned off the lights, locked up the shop, and proceeded to her room for a much-deserved sleep. 

\---------------------------------

Perhaps it would have been a delicious sleep if it had not been interrupted many hours before her alarm was scheduled to sound. No instead of beautiful wind chimes pulling Myka from her dreamland she was startled to consciousness by the sounds of hammers and electric saws steadily at work. Displeased for once by Mrs. F's speed on this matter, Myka pulled on a pair of loose fitting jeans and a flannel to survey what hell she was to face this day. 

\---------------------------------

"MYKA! MY DARLING, MY LOVE! DO YOU SEE THIS?" Warren's voice was the lightest it had been since the day she was born, or at least so Myka imagined.

Ducking out of the way of a swinging 2x4 Myka found her father amongst sawdust and hard hats. "What is going on, dad?" 

"The most wonderful thing has happened, finally the town has taken note of the beautiful history of this humble shop!" the colors rising in his face, caused pause for Myka as her father had transformed into an unrecognizably jovial man. 

"And they did so while I was asleep?" While this may have been according to plan, the early hour was anything but desirable for a caffeine-less Myka Bering.

"I received a call this morning at 5AM while I was having my morning toast from a man from the town hall. Oh... I can't remember his name right now but he said the state had become aware of the sale and could not allow the property to lose its historical value!" 

Zeroing in on a portable coffee dispenser, Myka helped herself to a styrofoam cup. "Wow, that's really great dad. And they..." taking a long sip of the burning coffee Myka aimed to form a logical sentence amongst the noise "decided they couldn't wait to take over its possession until... I don't know... 10 in the morning?"

At this Warren waved off her disgruntled attitude, "Don't you see how wonderful this is?! I don't have to see my shop become some hippy-dippy yoga studio or worse... paint your own ceramics place. It can live on as the prestigious Bering & Sons bookstore!" 

"And the construction? Why with the construction?" Myka inquired, draining the coffee from the sad, cheap cup. 

"Apparently the building that once sat on this lot- the one that burned down before the construction of the bookstore served as a speak-easy. The government insisted that a basement facility be added in order to stay true to the original building plan. Sure it won't be exactly like my bookstore..."

Myka tried to wrap her head around how any of this actually makes sense to her father. Construction on a newer building to transform it into a similar building as the one before it... it was too early for this. She was just happy that he was so incredibly elated. Wait... why was he so incredibly elated. 

"Um dad, what about our home? Where are you and mom going to live?" Myka used his pause to access more tart and potentially burnt coffee.

"That's the best part, they want our family to stay. They say it is only right to have the "Bering & Son" here with the building for as long as possible. Of course, we are still in negotiations as to who will be running the shop, you know my health isn't the best and I'm not sure I can handle the expansion on my own!" Warren had begun making large gestures with his hands, missing his daughter choking and nearly spraying coffee on the plastic covered wood floors.

"Daughter, still a daughter." Myka noted, raising her hand as if anyone should notice the obvious issue. 

"Yes, well.. you know what I meant. Now don't be such a spoiled sport and be happy that your mother and I aren't homeless or shopping for a condo." Warren scolded her. 

"So they may be bringing someone in to help?" Myka asked, scratching her forehead as to what the Regents had thought up. 

"As I said, we are still in negotiations...AH! Perfect! There's our boy now." Warren nearly leaped towards to the opening door, "James, my boy, what wonderful news I have for you. Well, maybe not for you but for all of us!" 

Myka took this moment alone to groan. This isn't exactly what she was hoping for. Sure, the shop was safe and with the regents utilizing the building, her place here was secure but now she had an obligatory boyfriend situation to deal with and apparently she should be expecting a new business partner on top of it all. 

Smashing the styrofoam cup in her hand, Myka plastered on a shit-eating grin and joined her father and James' bewildered expression. 

"Jimmy! Isn't this great!" Myka yelled over the buzz of the electric saws, wrapping herself around the confused man.

"Jimmy? Really?" James shouted/whispered into her hair, returning the embrace. 

"Go with it, I'll fill you in later." She said, placing a kiss on his cheek. 

James was then whisked away by a reinvigorated Warren to survey the construction happening in the back of the store. 

Excusing herself outside, Myka took a seat on the wooden bench just a few shops down. The silence was a great comfort to her aching ears. 

"Coffee?"

Myka looked up to find that James has made a masterful escape from her father's excitement. 

"Yes please," Myka said, rubbing at her temples. 

"I'll be right back, the stuff they have inside is practically sewage." James yelled over his shoulder as he made his way to the Thompson's bakery.

"I hadn't noticed." Myka grumbled, digging her phone out of her back pocket. Pulling up her emails, Myka decided to make the best of the situation.

 

Helena,

I'm so sorry I haven't had much time to sit down and punch out a reply. Things here have been a whirlwind as you can imagine. 

I'm afraid I'm going to have to keep this short as there is construction happening all around me. My father's shop has been saved by the town hall, they began work this morning. 

Pete and I needed to go our separate ways. I'm sure you can understand how that goes. 

To sum it up in a jiffy: New home, new job, new guy. 

Things are moving lightning fast at the moment. Hoping to catch a breather to enjoy it all. I'm sure New York feels similar but that's to be expected. 

Take care of yourself and best of luck with your chess.

-Myka 

Sent. 

\-----------------------------

"So are you going to tell me about all of this or am I going to stay in the dark forever?" James asked, handing Myka a cup of coffee and a muffin.

"How much time do you have?" Myka laughed, taking a bite from the baked good. 

"So now you ask about me?" James jokingly retorted. 

"I'm sorry to drag you into all of this, there was no other way." Myka began, giving the town a once over. "You were right, he wasn't going to let me stay. Not if it was going to be hard. Not if I had somewhere else to be. I needed to find a way to make it all a lot easier on him so I called in a favor."

"A favor to the I.R.S.?" James asked, eyebrow raised.

"Something like that." Myka contende.

"You don't really work for the I.R.S." 

"You're not really my boyfriend." 

"Another one of your lies." James bested her. 

"I'm going to find a way to get you out of this, I know you were just here to do a job but... well... things apparently don't always go as planned." Myka admited, taking another bite of muffin.

"It's actually alright, they've asked me to oversee the sale which cannot be done until the construction is complete. Honestly, your little soap opera drama is probably the best way to pass the time right now. I'm stuck." James' chipper demeanor would be worrying if it wasn't exactly what Myka needed but least expected.

"So you're okay with all of this?" She asked, washing muffin down with her black coffee.

"I like puzzles. You are a 1,000 piece puzzle with special edition expansion packs. I'm in. I'll figure it all out but for now, just tell me what I need to know to get through the week." 

"We're in love. You adored me from the second you met me and I... well... I came around. We were keeping it on the down-low because I was with Pete but now that he's out of the picture along with my former job & home, we're going to have to step it up for my mom and dad." Myka was no stranger to getting down to business. She'd maybe thought about this already anyway.

"Okay, pretend to be attracted to you. I'll work on it." James responded with a completely serious face.

"You're such an ass!" Myka yelled, swatting at him with the empty paper bag from the bakery. 

"What else?" James asked, laughing. 

"Right now, I think that will cover it." Myka said, setting the paper bag down on the bench freeing her right hand. "Deal?"

"Deal."


	10. Hit

Apparently time passes pretty quickly when you are resuscitating a family business with the help of a super secret government division under the nose of your blissfully unaware family. What started out as a few days of early morning electric saws and endless hammering turned into a month of dusting and constant coffee runs for the nice men who gave Myka a knowing look when her dad asked how the work was coming along. 

Myka had found that with her dad now pleased as a kid in a candy store, he now had much more time to spend with his wife and Myka's newest love interest. Outside of some awkward family dinners, she would say that it had gone without a hitch. James had done his best to play the devoted, yet inappropriately flirtatious boyfriend in front of her parents and townsfolk and everyone had begun to comment on the sound of distant church bells. 

For the most part, James and Myka spent their "date nights" at Jame's apartment, him cooking them dinner and Myka sitting in the bay window lost in a book. James did his best not to notice when Myka seemed annoyed with their secrecy and quickly found that a never-ending stash of licorice is the best way to handle her moods. 

"I thought you read that last week..?" James said, handing Myka a bowl of steaming pasta.

"Oh thanks... yeah... oldy but a goody..." Myka replied, taking the dish while simultaneously stuffing the novel under a nearby pillow.

"H.G. Wells, huh? Can't say I've read any of his stuff but you certainly are a fan." 

James' chewing allowed Myka a moment to decide how honest to be at this point. He had done enough for her, why put more on his shoulders than necessary?

"My dad used to read them with me. I'd say 'to me' but I think you know better than that by now." Myka took a big whiff of garlic and parmesan and hid her delight when a small shaker of red paper flakes was held out to her. 

"You can tell a lot about a person by what they read." James said, taking another bite.

"Oh yeah?" Myka knew it's not polite to talk with her mouth full but manners seem silly at this point in their friendship.

"I actually have no idea. I just heard someone say that once... probably on TV. Speaking of, watch some?" 

Myka adored James' simpleness in times of awkwardness. Unlike Pete, James knew when to move on and leave her alone with her thoughts.

"Sure. What did you have in mind?" Deciding whether or not to leave the book in its obvious hiding place, Myka headed to the over-stuffed couch across the room.

"I saw there's some kind of new ABC show, Time and Again?" James searched the surrounding area for the remote as he took up inhabitance in the arm chair.

"Never heard of it, I don't exactly have a lot of time to just sit and be mindless." Myka tucked her legs beneath her and pulled a cover from the back of the couch. 

"Well, I thought you might like it because it's about time travel. Apparently, H.G. Wells travels to the future where he... well to be honest I didn't really understand the trailer but we'll find out!" Thankfully James' excitement is accompanied with him almost spilling his entire dinner all over himself, meaning he missed Myka's complete halt of all physical motion. 

Readings Helena's words was one thing but seeing some- no doubt- awful representation of her or worse some weird ass version of Charles... She wasn't sure she would be able to sit through something so... yikes.

"Oh and he supposedly meets a girl and falls in love or something.." James said, now happily and safely seated with remote in hand.

"Well one of them should." Myka grumbled, now shoveling pasta into her mouth at warp speed. "Got any breadsticks?"

"Uh.... no?" James replied, partially listening as he tried to find the right channel.

"It's fine... I was only sort of joking." 

And with that, Myka spet the next hour of her life wishing she had breadsticks.

or the nerve to just get up and just go home.

———————————————————

All night long Myka had dreams of H.G. coming back. Well, not real H.G. "man H.G." and no not Charles either. No this was some weird dream-induced horror of new H.G. Wells with the cast of Harry Potter. She spent half the night complaining about man-Helena being sorted as a Gryffindor and the other half being completely offended by his absolute disregard for her personal space. If there is a hell designed especially for her, it's this. 

There was no electric saw alarm clock today, no that has time has passed. Any work being done on the building was happening downstairs and since they completed the sound proofing, the mornings had returned to peaceful times. 

Myka took her time getting ready, the shop wasn't ready- besides Warren had decided it won't happen without a big grand opening and she was far too tired to plan one. James has offered but she insisted she should be the one doing the planning. Today she thought she'd wander around the shop, consider buying more inventory, and maybe even some nice cozy furniture for a reading nook. A nook that does not exist but could certainly be created with a nudge or two from the boys downstairs. 

She brushed her teeth, attempting to shake off any last fleeting thought of Helena the sleazy Gryffindor from Hellwarts, and washed her face. 

There was an alert from her phone and she quickly dried off her hands to check to see what it's about. A picture of James' smiling face is joined with four to-go coffees, meaning he was still trying to earn brownie points after the last uncomfortable family dinner when he decided to smack Myka's ass as she checked on the lasagna. Warren was not pleased, neither was Myka. She made sure to make that quite clear as she walked him/tripped him down the stairs at the end of the night. 

If she had an extra minute or two, she'd try to tame the outrageous curls that now seemed to be attempting a getaway but James couldn't be trusted on his own, at least not with the Berings right now. Pulling on a pair of faded denim overalls and an old high school athletics t-shirt, Myka bounded down the stairs to save James from himself. 

———————————————————

"Well you know your daughter, Warren. When she's ready she's ready." James seemed to reply, noting Myka's sudden entrance.

"I hope you're talking about coffee and maybe a blueberry muffin." She said, grabbing for the beverage carrier and distracting James with a peck to his cheek.

"Haha uh.. well you know, I think I hear your mother calling." Warren awkwardly declared as he turns to leave the two supposed lovebirds alone. 

"Well done ma'lady. And no, banana nut, but I did ask." James said producing a paper bag of baked goods. 

"Oh it's true what they say, men will always disappoint..." Myka laughed. In contrast to the night, she was feeling good today, light. 

"You're missing shoes." James noted, glancing at her boney feet on the cold hardwood floors of the shop.

"Don't need them yet. Besides, if I step on a nail I'm sure to get my reading nook." She joked, smiling into her coffee. 

"You are not to be trusted. What's on the agenda?" 

"Hmmm... well... maybe we can go furniture shopping?" Myka innocently answered.

"...for the reading nook?" 

"Maybe. Couldn't you just see it?" Myka gleamed, throwing herself at him dramatically. 

James didn't get a chance to respond as the ding of a certain bell over a certain front door disturbed them. 

"We're closed!" they both reply, laughing at Myka's now falling body, having been denied a trust fall from James. 

Failing to catch herself on the way down, Myka's butt hit the ground with a notable thump and she was overcome with laughter and a wave of her own hair. 

Moving a curl from her eyes, Myka looked to see who their new visitor was. 

"I do hope you are more careful with the first editions." 

Myka didn't need eyes to know exactly what was happening. That cutting British accent, colder now than usual made Myka's blood run cold. 

Noting the tension in the room, James helped Myka to her feet and wrappred his arm around her lower back.

"Is there anything we can help you with, uh ma'am?" He was trying to work his boyish charm, Myka had seen him do a similar thing with her mother. 

"Are you a Bering or a son of?" Helena's tone was knowingly to the point. 

"Um, no but she-" James attempted to respond warmly but wasn't given the chance.

"Then it is she that I desire." Had it not been for the devilish grin that Helena produces at the end of the sentence, James certainly would have peed himself. 

"Emily Lake but everyone calls me Helena." she added, offering a hand to James. 

He shook it with caution. "James but everyone... you know, I won't even finish that." 

"Probably best" Myka admitted. She couldn't decide how Helena planned to play this so she decided to pause any familiarities. 

"Then you must be Myka, yes?" Helena inquired as she turned her attention to the woman still bound to James' side. 

Ah, yep, this is how it's going to be, Myka thought. 

"One in the same, Emily was it?" Myka couldn't help herself. She knew James wouldn't question it. 

"I'm here to assist with your..." Helena stopped to take in the space '...business affairs.'" 

Myka's first response was absolute exhaustion. Of course. Of course, this is who they would send. And of course, Helena hadn't told her she'd be coming. Something was up.

"Superb." Myka bit back. 

"What exactly is on the list for today?" Helena inquired, keeping steady eye contact with Myka.

"Uh well, actually, we were going shopping for some furniture." James awkwardly supplied, feeling entirely out of place. 

"Excellent, I'll drive." Helena responded now dropping her gaze to James' arm securely wrapped around Myka's torso. "Will you want a change of clothes?"

"I'm good, let's go." Myka quickly responded.

"Honey, you don't have shoes on." James kindly reminded her. 

"Oh I know." Myka was not looking at him, he didn't know why he'd assumed she would.

"I'll just run and get you some.." James excused himself upstairs, not exactly sure what he's looking for. 

"So?" Myka's eyes narrowed in suspicion. 

"Oh come off it, I'm just having a bit of fun." Helena replied with a smile. 

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Myka asked, sounding almost hurt. 

"By the time you replied, I'd already be here." and with that Myka's phone alerted her of a new email. 

"See."  
——————————————————— 

"Ooooh this one has heated seats." James yelled from across the showroom. He'd decided to give the two cats some room to fight while he enjoyed the luxury of furniture he'd never spend his own money on.

"He seems lovely." Helena quipped, her lips turning up into a smirk. 

"Be nice. He is. When are you going to tell me why you're here?" Myka asked, no longer pretending to consider the practicality of a giant beanbag chair.

"MYKES! COME TRY THIS ONE, IT MASSAGES." It seems James' plan could only be interrupted by motorized massage therapy. 

Knowing that Helena wouldn't be indulging inquiries anytime soon, Myka walked over and flopped down on the loveseat with James. 

He knows it's a powerplay. It's kind of funny, he thinks, to see her back in action like this. It had been a minute since she'd had something to fire her up.

James pulled Myka into his side and plopped a kiss to the crown of her head. "Are you sure we couldn't just have like a really nice sitting area instead?"

"There's no room for something as bulky as this and someone like you is likely to stay there forever. It's still a business you know." She teased in return. She could see Helena turn to examine a shapely chaise lounge and took the opportunity to lean into James' ear, "I'll buy you lunch for a week if you make it extra convincing." 

"Deal."


	11. Run

The day seemed to drag on and Helena was privy to an inordinate amount of public displays of affection between James and Myka. Myka thought that it would feel cruel at this point but Helena seemed to be anything but disturbed. 

In the end, they decided on putting off purchasing anything until plans for the construction of the nook were more definite. At this, James tried not to say that he knew this would happen. 

The car ride home had been quiet, James who had been banished to the back seat for the day had leaned on the middle console lightly brushing his finger against Myka's elbow as she explained to him just where she'd like the twinkle lights to go. Helena, of course, seeing it all. 

"So, Emily-well- Helena, how long will you be with us? Do you already have some place to stay?" James asked, switching subjects for the sake of the twinkle lights.

"I am here until I am no longer needed. Wishing me to stay longer already, are we?" Helena teased, with a quick glance at Myka in the passenger seat. 

Seeing an opportunity, Myka twisted her body in the seat towards the driver's side, "You never did explain what it is you will be doing here.."

"Have either of you ever run an underground drinking parlor?" 

Myka looked to James, he looked as ill-equipped as she felt.

"Didn't think so. I'll be working primarily downstairs, getting things in order for the next representative." Helena finished.

"Next representative?" Myka asked, eyebrow raised with uncertainty. If this is going to be some Charles Dickens plot, she'd like to opt out. One ghost from her past was enough.

"Well I simply cannot devote my entire life to one place, now can I?" Helena replied, smugly. 

"No. It would seem you cannot." Myka's replied dryly. Dry enough, that is, to milk the last bit of snideness from Helena's face. 

———————————————————

"I'll be staying at the... inn? Do you refer to it as an inn?" Helena asked curiously in Warren's direction.  
Their introduction had been far easier than any earlier ones. 

"Oh you're at the Millers bed and breakfast!" Warren replied, knowing the place well.

"Ah, yes, a bed and breakfast. You Americans love those." Helena noted, hoping to catch Myka's eye as she brooded from behind her father.

"Some would say that they're very nice! Charming, even!" Myka didn't mean to dive into the middle of things but Helena's nonchalance was grating on her nerves. 

Warren gave his daughter an odd look and returned his attention to Helena.

"Well Miss Lake we sure are happy to have you. We'll be seeing you in the morning then?"

"Yes, Mr. Bering, I believe that would do. Good evening to you all." Helena was able to come off as just polite enough to be good news while having eyes that alert Myka that she's anything but. 

"I'll walk you out." Myka responded, already heading towards the door of the shop.

"Splendid."

———————————————————

"You can go back and tell Mrs. F. that things are fine here. I have it under control, Helena." Myka gusheed as Helena followed her into the alleyway by the shop.

"Myka?" Helena seemed shocked.

"What?" Myka barked in reply, nearly pacing at this point in their little escape.

"I haven't seen you in over a year! You haven't written to me in almost a month. Do you really think I'm here because Mrs. Frederick or the regents asked me to be?"

Myka hadn't even questioned it. It all made too much sense. Of course, they would use her, of course, she would be made to come.

"I volunteered." 

At that Myka stopped her pacing and looked as if Helena had shot her right in the stomach.

"You what?" 

"I volunteered. Gods Myka, I was worried. I know you and your father's relationship has been trying. I...I thought perhaps a friendly face would be a welcome change." Helena had found an old crate to lean against, a few feet from Myka's frozen figure. "I wanted to see you. I wanted to really know how you were doing." 

Myka couldn't seem to find words. Not whole words, just the sounds of words that all seemed too little, too..mundane. 

"Will you please say something, I've flown across the states to see you and now you're looking at me as if I'm no more than a projection once more." 

"I don't know what to say to you, Helena. I didn't expect this. I was doing fine." Her voice seemed to be trying to find its feet. "You just showed up. Playing a part. What was I supposed to think?" 

"Darling, I can't very well show up in a bookstore saying I'm H.G. Wells, now can I?" Helena's hands now moved through her hair sending raven cascades down in front of her face. 

"James probably wouldn't even have gotten it. He doesn't read your books." She knew it was a cheap shot but it was all she had in her.

"But you do." Helena noted from beneath her rainfall of hair. 

"How would you even know?" Myka quipped.

"Because you said 'doesn't read' not 'hasn't read' which would imply that someone else has been reading them as of late." Helena commented, hands seemingly poised at her temples. 

"Very astute of you. You are always so very astute." 

"He truly does care for you. I see that too. I think it's quite wonderful that he shows it as he does." Helena offered in return.

"Yeah... he's honestly... I don't know what I would have done without him." It's honest, at the very least she's being honest but she know Helena will leave in time so there's no need to be too honest. 

"I'm happy for you. That you've found a place to be that makes you happy." Helena was now looking up at Myka, her hair out of place for first time Myka can ever recall. 

"Thank you." is all Myka can bring herself to say. 

———————————————————

Myka had returned to the bookshop to sort through some misplaced items when James found her. 

"Did Helena find her 'inn' alright?" he asked, taking note of her demeanor. 

"I don't know, I guess. It's a small town, it's not hard to find anything apparently." Myka's focus remained on the books but her body seemed to be losing some of its earlier fire.

"You know her, I can tell. I don't know how you know her but I know what we're doing is important to you. I'm not going to ask anything else." It's these simple acts that make Myka think she could love James if she let herself. 

"I used to." She allowed him this one truth. 

"For what it matters, I'm kind of enjoying pissing her off." 

At this Myka couldn't help but laugh, she knew their actions hadn't had the intended effect but it was sort of adorable that he thinks it is. She rested her head against the bookshelf in front of her, trying to make sense of it all. 

"I have pot roast ready at home if you get hungry later." And with that James leaned in and placed a kiss to Myka's hair and left. The kiss was for no one's beenefit for their own, she clearly needed it. 

———————————————————

Helena busied herself with work in the basement, Myka would see her in passing, often speaking with a construction worker or Warren. She seemed to like having something to do. She was certainly more energetic that she seemed to be in her emails to Myka. James made himself scarce while Myka poured over plans for the grand re-opening but offered his company in the later hours accompanied by a cup of coffee. 

Some days all Myka and Helena would share was a passing smile, or a wink on Helena's part. She was not pressing Myka for answers, she's just there. Myka couldn't help but find a little bit of enjoyment out of knowing that she can find her if need be, if she so found herself in need. 

Family dinners took place more regularly as the reopening drew closer, it seemed Warren couldn't help but revel in the excitement. His support for her relationship with James only seemed to grow, this is both a comfort and a concern for Myka. She caught sight of the back of Helena heading down the street, a small silhouette on its way to rest. At first, it didn't even phase Myka but soon she began to wonder what it was Helena did when she was not in the store. The Millers were a lovely family and ran a beautiful establishment but all the cross-stitched pillows in the world could not keep Helena entertained for long. 

Reaching for her cell phone, Myka dialed a nearly forgotten number. 

"MYKA!" Claudia nearly yelled into her ear "What's up chickadee?!" 

It was a relief to hear the absence of anger. She had been avoiding the young girl for some time after their last run-in. It seemed as though, time had healed some things.

"Claud, how are you?" 

"Oh well if covered in purple goo is good then I'm great! How's it hanging in booksville?" Claudia's positive energy was radiating through the phone and Myka couldn't help but allow herself to soak some of it up.

"Oh you know, if covered in dust is alright then I'm... well... actually I have a headache from all the computer screens and phone calls. How are you at planning large community events?" 

"Uh huh... need a little help, eh?" 

"There's so many things that I'd never thought of...publicity, sponsorships, collaborations, speakers, those giant scissors... how do people do this kind of work?" 

Myka could hear Claudia chuckling in the phone, "Not what you thought it was going to be like, is it?"

"Not exactly, I just want the store to be open and for things to go back to normal. Books and readers, is that too much to ask for?" 

"Are we going to ignore the obvious?" Claudia's tone grew more pointed.

"Helena?" Myka offered up.

"Yep. The one and only. You could ask her to help, you know." For someone so much younger, Myka though, Claudia was quite smart.

"It's not that, I could ask James-"

"Don't mention him just yet, we're not there yet." 

"Still mad?"

"Working on it. Pete's moved on but when H.G. came to visit I just-"

"She came to the B&B?" At this Myka's ears had perked up. She hadn't really thought about how Helena ended up here just that she had.

"Yeah she came looking for something to do. Said she was growing tired of being a non-renewable resource or something like that... I think it was an age joke."

Myka laughed, she knew Helena's age sometimes bothered her. 

"So you gave her a job." 

"Hey, I didn't do it. I would have rather kept her here helping me with the gadgets and gizmos and this is where you generally tune me out so I'm not sure how in depth to go here." Claudia admitted, rambling at this point.

"I get it, so she asked." 

"Yeah, she said she needed to do more. Listen, I don't know what she is looking for out there. I tried to talk her out of it but it seems like she thinks being a good ol' bar slinger sounded like fun. Honestly, it doesn't sound any worse than what I'm covered in right now so." 

"Have you talked to her?" Myka knew this is taking the conversation to a serious place but she had to ask.

"Yeppers."

"And?"

"And is she having the time of her life hanging out in the basement of a bookstore watching you and your loverboy make googly eyes at each other? Okay, I made up the part about the loverboy but still, I'm bitter." 

"Claud."

"She sounds lonely. Are you guys talking?" 

"Sort of, I've got to go. I love you, Claudia, never change please." 

———————————————————

"Alright well I believe my work is done for the day, Mr. Bering. Once again it has been a pleasure to be of service." Helena had begun flirting more regularly with Warren than anyone else. It would be weird if it weren't a little endearing. Myka often overheared parts of their conversations as they rode up on the old-steam punk lift that Helena had helped design for the building. 

"Not nearly as much as a pleasure as having you here. Goodnight Helena." 

The clang of the front door was the tale-tell sign that she was gone for the evening and Myka had about 30 seconds to decide if she'd be joining her family for dinner up stairs. On a whim she took a running start out of the shop.

"Hey Helena." Myka didn't have to yell, she knew she'd hear her.

Turning on her heels almost as if she knew to expect it, Helena's face is tired but lovely. "Yes, Myka?"

"Have dinner with me." Myka would blush but the running has already done that for her.

"A bit presumptuous don't you think?" Helena laughed, taking advantage of a moment of higher power. 

"Have dinner with me and my family." 

"I fail to hear a question." Helena noted, scrunching up her nose adorably. 

"I posed no question." Myka admitted, standing firm in her place not but 10 feet in front of the other woman. 

"I will do so but only because your father adores me." Helena conceded, already walking back toward the shop. "Will James be joining us?" 

"He will. He usually does." 

"Well righty ho, what are we waiting for?" Helena took Myka's wrist in her hand and lead her back to the shop. 

Myka would never admit appreciating this touch. She would never admit it either. Nope. 

———————————————————

"Now dearest Jameson," Helena, for the most part, had stayed quiet at the dinner table, taking it all but it seems those moments have passed. "You have taken possession of that which I hold most dear and I must insist you relinquish it to me now." 

Myka, her father, and her mother looked between the two of them in confusion as James turned to reveal two steaming coffee cups. "Milk in your tea, madame?" James' phony English accent was horrible. 

The small audience broke into a fit of laughter as he took his place beside Myka at the table once more. Helena didn't miss the hand he placed between Myka's shoulder blades any less than she noted the smile that spread across Myka's face when he did so. 

"That reminds me, actually" James brought his laughter to a cease, addressing Myka in turn "I have an old college buddy who's getting married next weekend. I hadn't thought about it till now but... Mykes, you wanna go with me? 

In all the hustle and bustle of the construction, Myka had forgotten that the social world had continued on. "Next weekend? Really?"

"Oh shit, the re-opening. How did I not put two and two together?" James held his head in his hands and for a moment, Myka felt bad that she responded as she did.

"Hey, we can work something out. What day is it?" She asked kindly.

"Well... it's at his parent's home... in Bromley." 

Myka knows exactly where that is. She's been there before. A trip to England would certainly be more than a day. 

"James, I would go but-"

"I know, you've put in so much work for the opening. I can't believe I didn't realize it sooner." 

Helena, who has once again taken the position as quiet observer, broke the ice, "I do happen to have access to a private jet that knows the way quite well."

James looked to her with a note of confusion.

"Oh sweet Jameson, it's almost unfair how little you know of me." She was flirting, this is a good sign Myka knew. "I'll make the arrangements for our beloved Myka to join you at your request. No worries, I'm certain we can work the timing out." 

All of a sudden Myka felt a truly sickening sinking feeling in her stomach. "I'm going to go lie down." She said excusing herself from the table. 

If Helena and James noticed anything odd about the situation, they choose not to speak up. Instead, they began exchanging dates and times Myka abandoned them.


	12. A Shift in the Winds

Fleeing to the hallway, Myka tried to calm herself as she took long, deep breaths. Why is it that everyone seems more than happy to make plans for her rather than asking what she would like to do? Her father, Helena, and now James it was too much. Finally, her heart rate settled and she could hear Helena and James verbally pat themselves on the back for being such masterful planners. Unknowingly, Myka's right hand had curled into a tight fist leaving accidental crescent shaped cuts in her palm. She noticed only when she attempted to smooth back her hair from her sweaty forehead only now to have blood smeared across her whole hand and, as she can imagine, her face as well. Bowing her head, Myka headed up to the bathroom to wash up before anyone came looking for her. If they come looking for her. 

Sure enough, Myka had faint streaks of blood across her temples and the sides of her face. Stepping back from the mirror, she laughed. She laughed more than what would probably be appropriate at a time like now, as she stood covered in her own blood because of an almost panic attack. She looked like a psycho, having just slaughtered a very small thing... so maybe a bad psycho killer but it was funny to her nonetheless. She opted to use her hands and soap, bypassing the washcloths in order to avoid explaining to anyone why there was blood outside of her body rather than in. The bleeding of her palms seemed to have ended and she decided that if she was mindful, she coiuld forgo any kind of wrappings that may draw unnecessary attention. 

She knew she should go back. She should take her place at the table and hear what agenda has been crafted for her but her feet couldn't seem to move from her safe haven of a bathroom. Instead, she sat back on the lip of the bathtub with an exhausted thump. Everything was going as planned. She could stay, she could take care of the bookstore and not be burdened by her father's alternative wishes for her. Hell, even Helena seemed to be quite happy with it all. Which, in part, made Myka a tad annoyed. She had hoped for more jealousy, she needed Helena's jealousy- a sign that she was at least causing Helena a portion of the distress that she had caused Myka. At that she sighed, it wasn't right. She shouldn't be trying to hurt anyone. This was her plan after all. She shouldn't expect to have everything at this moment. She should be happy that things are going so smoothly... but if that's so, why couldn't she leave this bathroom. 

After some time, Myka couldn't decide how much, there was a knock on the door and Jeannie was letting her know that her guests wished to return to their own homes. Myka thanked her mom and took one more look in the mirror to make sure she didn't look completely horrible. Stepping out into the hallway, she met James and Helena sharing a round of playful insults to pass the time. 

"Sorry guys, I don't think dinner sat too well with my stomach." It's a lie, it wasn't dinner but what wasn't a lie these days. 

"No worries, Myka. You feeling okay now?" James asked, moving toward her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. 

Myka turned and looked up to him, "Getting there. How about I walk you two out?" She nudged her shoulder into him, attempting to ease his hold on her. James seemed to get the hint and removed his arm pretending to have an itch on his nose. 

"Alright then, let's do it." He said, leading the three towards the stairs down to the shop. 

Helena hadn't said a word since Myka stepped out from the restroom and it seemed as though she was choosing not to now. Instead, she simply waited for Myka to follow James and followed accordingly. 

James had begun telling Myka all about his friend's wedding and how the two had met, Myka nodding and giving small affirming noises as they made their way downstairs. As they reached the door, James led the way holding it open for the two to exist first. While Myka knew he was being chivalrous, this meant that she and Helena would now have to share a moment alone in the dark outside the shop as James flipped the locking mechanism from inside. It wouldn't take long but for Myka it seemed like a century. 

Helena took the opportunity to fasten the belt on her trenchcoat and to pull the collar up against her cheeks, Myka knew she must be cold. She could so easily go to her and offer her a slightly warming arm rub but instead, she stayed a few feet away rocking back and forth on her heels as she waited for James to join them. 

"I believe your father thinks that he can best me at a game of chess." Helena said, breaking the silence. 

Myka laughed, her father always did have a healthy competitive streak. "He's pretty good. I'm not sure he'll see your New York moves coming though." 

Helena smiled, knowing that Myka was referencing her emails. "Perhaps but I'm happy to let him try." 

"I'm horrible at chess. This isn't some skill I'm going to have to pick up, am I?" James asked to Myka now fastening his own jacket. 

"Only if you want dad to respect you." Myka jested. 

"I would be happy to give you a lesson sometime if you're quite keen on earning Warren's good graces. Not that I think you need them, it seems as though you are doing well on your own doing." Helena replied with a wink.

Myka should but does not love this. She wanted Helena to boast her skills, she wanted her to be her usual proud self not this willing-to-assist person she struggles to recognize. So maybe she does want everything to go her way, and right now, she was feeling down enough to be petty about it all. 

"Seems like you've got your hands full downstairs, Helena, lessons may have to wait until the renovation is complete. I'd hate for you to fall behind." Myka's words were meant to sting but by the end, she was almost shocked by the amount of bite behind them. 

Helena gave a nod of acknowledgment and turned to look down the road, "Well, I best be off then. Lots of work to be doing in the morning, I hear." 

It was a jab and Myka welcomed it. This, this is what she knew, this is what was comfortable. 

"I'm actually free tonight, Helena if you're feeling up to it." James informed her, making sure not to catch Myka's eyes. 

Helena seemed to notice and she followed his lead. He, too, had noted a change in Myka this evening was apparently willing to agitate it further. "That would be lovely, Jameson. I must admit I've still got a bit of energy left and nothing pressing to deal with tonight. Shall we?" The smirk on her face was enough to ignite a small flame in Myka's eyes. 

"Let's do it!" James stepped toward Myka, knowing this wasn't what she had likely hoped for. He placed a quick peck to the top of her head and whispered in her ear, "sorry, I can't kill all my curiousness." He was grinning as he stepped back towards Helena. 

Myka scowled for a second, feeling a shift in their agreement. He had been so selfless coming into this ordeal but now, now she sensed a change beginning. 

"Myka, perhaps some rest will do you some good. You seem to have lost some color." Helena noted, wrapping an arm around one James had offered. 

A shift indeed. The flame grew a little more and Myka's face was growing warm. "Have a great night, you two." Myka forced a grin to appear and stuffed her hands in her pants pockets. 

"Text me before you go to sleep?" James replied as though this is a normal thing that they do. 

"As always." Myka quipped as she turns towards the shop, not having the self-restraint to watch the two leave arm-in-arm. 

It's then and only then that Myka realized she'd left her keys upstairs. 

———————————————————

"Jameson, I believe I'm quite fond of you" Helana admitted, as they left Myka behind.

"Helena, I am both happy to hear that and reasonably warry." James replied with a bright smile. 

"You are smarter than you appear." 

"See, reasonably warry." With that, James reached for his phone and send a quick text to Myka. "I'm always on your side."  
———————————————————

In the early morning, Myka was woken by a great deal of laughter coming from downstairs. Annoyed by the disturbance, Myka could only further be displeased by the sound of a very familiar, very British laughter that seemed to sprint up the stairs and throw itself into her eardrums. 

Myka decided that this was what Helena wanted. That Helena was purposely laughing ungodly loud in the sleeping hours and wanted to draw Myka's attention down to her. Myka refused. Instead, Myka dragged her body from the bed and set on getting ready the slowest, most drawn out way possible. Of course, this meant that she ended up being far too nicely dressed for the occasion after realizing how simple her actual morning routine was. Practically dressed for a day as a pretend IRS agent, Myka changed once more into some fitted jeans and an old fencing team t-shirt she had found in the back of her closet from her later high school days... which consequently was one of the more tight-fitting items in her possession. 

She made her way downstairs at the appropriate working hour with a full coffee cup in hand as well as her father's discarded newspaper. Making certain to not draw her eyes away from her reading, she took careful but casual steps down toward the ongoing laughter. 

"I hope we didn't wake you, darling." Helena offered, raising her voice over Warren and James' laughs as they all are gathered around a small coffee table and chessboard. 

"What? Oh, no perfectly good. Slept like a rock." Myka replied, pretending to be surprised by any noise that had taken place. 

"Well, she threw enough last night." Warren said in a near growl. 

"Whatever does this American phrase mean?" Helena played dumb.

"Our very own Myka seems to have locked herself out of the shop last night. Spent at least a half an hour throwing pebbles up at our bedroom window. It felt like when Tracy had all those boys stalking the place when she was in school." Warren laughed. 

"Oh! That would be my fault," James added with a blush "I didn't even think about that while locking up the store last. I'm sorry, doll." James motioned for Myka to join him on his lap. 

Myka set down the morning paper on a nearby counter and moved to take James up on his offer. Sipping her steaming coffee, Myka nestled onto Jame's knee. 

"Helena here has been showing me up, this morning," Warren gestured to the reset chess game before them, "who would have thought that business managers were so skilled at the long game. She's certainly got some tricks under those sleeves." He chuckled at his own joke and Helena joined in.

"Well you know Warren, you have to if you plan to be successful." She gave him a wink and a charming smile that crept its way beneath Myka's skin. 

Myka took another, longer sip of her coffee before turning her attention to James. "Late night?"

James scratched his head for a second, "Well actually not. Turns out I'm hopeless when it comes to the game." 

"Oh that's not exactly true, you seemed to pick up the fundamentals quite well." Helena offered him with a kind smile.

"That's the mark of a good teacher, Helena. I think I can speak for us all when I say that we are better for having you here." Warren's voice was more sincere than Myka could ever recall. 

"You flatter me, Warren." Once again, Helena was all smiles and flirtation. She managed to sneak a look in Myka's direction. "Well I'd best continue to earn my place here, there is so much still to be done before the establishment downstairs is ready." She stood and straightened out her flowing sweater.... (that Myka does not notice makes her look at ease and approachable) before starting towards the elevator. 

"Another morning of game then, I will not allow you to leave until I've had my fair shot at winning." Warren kidded, beginning to pick up the chess pieces. 

"That is only fair." Helena replied over her shoulder. 

"Well, what is on the agenda for us?" James asked focusing now on Myka draining her coffee cup. 

Myka stood and gathered her newspaper from the counter, "The printed materials should be arriving today which means we have some deliveries to do." 

And with that, Myka headed towards the back office. 

"It's all work and no fun with her these days." Warren noticed.

"I think she's just focused." James offered in return, "There's a lot riding on this." 

Warren gave a thoughtful hum and gathers the board and pieces and headed back upstairs.  
———————————————————

"I don't know about you but I'm exhausted," James said, wiping sweat from his brow. "I didn't think this would be so draining. I couldn't even count the number of people I have spoken today." 

"Well, it's important that everyone in town knows and feels personally invited. It's all about relationships." Myka responded, opening up a bottle of water from the mini-fridge in the back office. 

"Yeah, relationships." James looked at her expectantly. 

"If you're going to say something, just say it." 

"Well if speaking to people is so important, why have I never seen you and Helena talk?" He toyed with a pencil he'd found nestled in the cushions of the couch he was now draped across. 

"We spoke last night, you were there," Myka responded while beginning to type out an email on the computer screen in front of her. 

"Are you referring to dinner or the awkward moment afterward outside?" James moved the pencil from his hands to the bridge of his nose to balance. 

"Both and it wasn't awkward." She replied, her eyes never leaving the screen.

"Okay, how about "oddly pointed." 

"Fine." 

"Not unlike that remark. Something is clearly up with you and don't think I didn't notice you taking off after dinner." His eyes were closed but he can imagine the face he's getting in return for that comment. 

"I told you my stomach was upset and you didn't need me there anyway it appeared." 

"You don't like that she and I are getting along." 

"I don't like that-" Myka stopped and looked up from her computer, taking in James' ridiculous position on the couch. "It's just not what I expected." 

"Meaning you don't like it." 

"I didn't say that....what exactly did you two talk about last night?" Myka had abandoned her work and was now leaning her elbows against the desk, her hands cradling her chin.

"Chess."

"...and?"

"...and other things." 

At this Myka returned her attention to the computer screen. 

"She's practically Fort Knox when it comes to words." He cracked an eye open to see that he'd gotten her attention. He had. "While she doesn't say much about you two, her eyes say a lot more." 

"Suddenly you're an eye reader." Myka scoffed.

"Not suddenly, my mom always struggled with depression growing up. When you are around it enough, you become attuned to slight changes in people's energy and their looks." 

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." Myka bowed her head a tad. She didn't know anything about his family really.

"Nothing to be sorry about. She did her best to be a good mom and I did my best to help her. What I'm saying though is that I know she's not just here to do business." 

"What then?" Myka asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Honestly, I don't know but I kinda get the feeling I shouldn't trust everything she does." 

Myka burst into laughter as James looked at her in confusion. 

"I could have told you that." 

———————————————————

Towards the end of the day, there was harsh knocking on the store's front door. James, now doing a bit of touch-up painting, nearly jumped out of his skin at the unexpected disruption. 

Turning his attention to the glass door, he waved the man in. 

"Got a delivery for a Meeka Bearing." 

"Myka."

"Oh sorry, sir. It's a pretty big package but not too heavy. I'll go grab it." 

Before James could correct the man, he'd gone. 

"Myka, did you order something... big?" 

Silence.

"Alright, here it is!" The man returned carrying a large, light box over his head and smaller box balancing on top. "If you'll just sign here, I'll be out of your way." James did so and looked down at the boxes curiously. Finding a small letter opener, he sliced through the tape only to find millions of tiny little white beads. 

"MYKA!" he yelled now knowing what exactly has happened.

Popping her head out from the office door, Myka's face already looked guilty. "Okay, so I may have ordered a thing."

"A thing."

"A very large thing."

"I thought we were going to wait to see if we still had money in the budget for a reading nook," James said now poking the large bag of bean bag stuffing. 

"Sometimes you have to put a plan into motion to get things going." She said through a bright grin.

"Yeah, that's worked out great for you..." James admonished under his breath.

"What was what?" Myka yelled in reply from the office.

"Nothing!" James moved onto unpacking the exterior bag case "Well this is going to be a mess." 

"Myka, could I borrow you for a moment?" 

Having returned to her place in front of the computer, Myka didn't budge. Instead, she yelled back "You're a grown man and it's a bunch of tiny balls, how hard could it possibly be?" 

"While I appreciate what I believe to be a compliment, I do prefer 'capable woman'." 

At this Myka's head snapped up to Helena leaning against the door jam. 

"While not incredibly familiar with the subject and as much as I would like to assist in whatever ball situation is happening, I'm afraid I need your attention downstairs." 

Myka's face turned notably red and she attempted to stop it from spreading further. "Uh, yeah, sorry. I can be right down." 

Helena couldn't stop her lips from curling into a slight smile. A worked up Myka was hard to ignore. 

"You can lose the smirk, I thought you were James." It didn't need to be said but it happened anyway. 

"While we do share some things in common, I find our differences to be quite necessary." 

Myka had no reply to this, it was more of a squinting of the eyes and slightly pursed lips.

Helena knew she had the momentary upper hand and she had no intention of wasting it. "While you, too, are a capable woman, the lift I've created will require some instruction to use. I'll take you down."


	13. A Discovery

Myka made her wait. She was keeping track of each and every point they had won over on each other and right now she felt behind so she typed out another email and counted to ten before standing up and straightening out her clothes. 

"Alright, let's go." 

With a slightly exhausted sigh, Helena pushed herself off the doorframe and lead the way around the corner to the elevator masquerading as a bookshelf. Instantly, Myka noticed a book out of place an older copy of The Wheels of Chance. 

"A little ostentatious don't you think?" Myka pointed to Helena's own misshelved book. 

Helena gave a show of mock surprise but she knew she had been caught. 

"Let me guess, it's a lever?" Myka continued, pulling the top of the book towards her. Instantly there was a small click and the bookshelf began to swing backward. 

"It's no fun if you crack all my little wonders." Helena admonished with a slight huff. 

As they moved forward into the hidden room, Myka could see that Helena has spared no expense in creating a true experience for future customers. It was certainly an H.G. Wells original creation. 

Noting Myka's appreciation and awe of her handiwork, Helena could not hold her tongue nor control her ego, "It's good to know that I can still conjure that expression." 

While Myka would like to craft some snide remark at Helena's boasting, she had never been able to stifle her amazement of Helena's mind and ability. "It's beautiful, Helena, you should be proud. The customers will love it and you know what, I love it. Now show me how to open the damn thing." 

With a bit of a bounce in her step, Helena stepped towards her creation and turned a central unmarked cog counter clockwise until the doors began to open. The inside of the elevator matched if not exceeded the beautiful and complicated mechanics of its exterior. Myka's jaw dropped as she stepped inside, amazed by the amount of time and effort Helena must have put in. 

Helena choose not to comment on Myka's reaction, she simply pushed the only button available and the doors began to shut. 

At a loss for words, Myka remained silent on the way down. Helena's mind had long been one of her most attractive features. Though she knows she's highly intelligent herself, Myka could never even dream of designing half the things Helena had let alone actually build them. She would be lost in a mind like Helena's and not be terribly upset about it at all. All Helena needed was a vision and it was destined for fruition. Helena had so much at her disposal, so much she could do. She was practically limitless.... well... actually... Myka had seen what Helena's mind could do. Could see how far off the deep end it could take her, how that very same brilliant mind could cause her to be so idiotic, so selfish, so... 

A melodic ding alerted Myka that they had made it to their destination, she had no idea how long it had taken nor how deep the elevator shaft must have been. She also had no time to consider it as the doors opened and she was confronted by familiarity. 

"Mrs. Frederick, I should have known." Myka said, stepping out of the lift. Helena followed her a few steps behind.

"Agent Bering, I see construction has been successful." Mrs. Frederick would never change, Myka thought. She would never give more than she needed and never leave Myka with anything less than the feeling she should kick herself for not having anticipated the next step. 

"I would say so, it looks great down here." Myka noted, surveying the supposed speak-easy. She should not be surprised that her little trip down had practically taken her back in time. A time machine, of course, Helena had intended the elevator to be far more self-indulgent that she had realized. 

"I would agree, our work here is done." Mrs. Frederick replied, folding her hands in front of her. 

"Done?" Myka asked, still taking in the surprisingly realistic ambiance of the new bar. 

"Yes, you will be called upon when needed but for now, it is yours to oversee. Well, yours and Agent Wells'." Mrs. Frederick moved toward the now empty lift and turned back towards them once more, "We will be in touch." 

Myka looked to Helena for some kind of clarity. The statement seemed to mean that Helena would be staying longer than anticipated. Helena merely kept her gaze on Mrs. Frederick. When Myka returned her attention to the lift, Mrs. Frederick was gone and the elevators doors remained open. 

"For a second there, I thought we were going to see her actually leave through an actual exit." Myka commented still in disbelief. 

"And ruin the air of mystery?" Helena retorted almost snorting in the process. 

Remembering her last thoughts in the lift, Myka focused her attention on Helena. "Yes, it seems more important to some than others." 

Helena did not reply, she simply spun on her heels and headed towards the back of the bar counter. "Drink?"

"Sure. Just make it a double." Myka responded, making no effort to follow her. "She could have just sent a letter." 

"Perhaps, that is, if she only came to speak to you." Helena countered, filling a shaker with ice. 

Myka did not miss how Helena's tone seemed to compliment her current task, "Of course, how could I be so self-involved to think that." 

Helena slid a clear drink to the end of the bar, seemingly keeping her thoughts to herself. 

Warily, Myka took a sip. "Vodka tonic, how did you-"

"Though he did not trust me for a great deal of time, Peter did eventually share with me a few details of your time together. You are still able to drink them after the last time, yes?"

The class reunion, Myka remembers. Helena knows about the body-switching class reunion. She knows Myka got wasted at said reunion. Excellent. "Yes, Helena, it was one time," she scolded her.

"I would hope not." Helena replied suggestively, now drying the cleaned shaker. 

"What else did Pete tell you?" Myka asked, taking a healthy gulp of the drink. There seemed to be no need for manners here. 

"Not nearly as much as I would have liked." Helena offered, throwing the towel over her shoulder. 

"Well..." Myka said, emptying her drink, "it looks like you have everything under control down here." Setting the glass down on the counter, Myka headed towards the lift. 

"Myka, have I done something to deserve your curtness?" There's vulnerability in Helena's voice and it dents Myka's rebuilt walls. 

"No Helena, you haven't." With that Myka stepped into the elevator and the doors close on their own. Myka was thankful that she did not need Helena's assistance to leave their conversation. To be honest, she had no better reply. No explanation. She couldn't tell Helena that she wanted her to be hurt, she couldn't say she wanted her to be jealous. She knew she shouldn't feel that way at all. 

———————————————————

Myka hasn't see Helena for days leading up to the grand opening. She wasn't sure if it was because of her own subconscious doing or Helena's purposeful absence. She was scheduled to leave in just a few hours to meet James in London for the wedding and was just finishing packing when her phone rang to tell her that a car was there to pick her up. Zipping her luggage, Myka said goodbye to her parents and found her way to the car. 

It's not ever day that a Town Car finds its way to the town; many eyes were on Myka as a man in a suit took her baggage and deposited it in the trunk. She offered the onlookers a kind smile and got in. She should have known that this was Helena's doing the emblem of "Atlas Industries" on the divider was her blinding clue. With a bit of a growl, Myka scooted towards the center of the car and got out her phone to tell James she was on her way. 

Myka: On my way. You let her send a car?

James: You act like I had a say in the matter.

Myka: Of course.

James: Hey.

Myka: I know, I'm sorry. 

James: It's okay, you should probably get used to it though. 

Myka: Why do you say that?

James: It's her plane too. 

Myka:

James: Wherever you worked together, she found a way to make WAY more money than you. Do better. 

Myka: I could be rich.

James: Then why not buy the bookstore yourself?

Myka: I'll let you know when I land. 

Sure enough, the Town Car drove on to a private airfield walking distance from a smaller plan with the same emblem. Myka made a mental note to look into "Atlas Industries" on the plane.

———————————————————

As she expected she discovered very little, as Helena would have made sure. There was little mention of what Atlas actually did or who was behind it and it irritated Myka to no end. She allowed herself to drink quite a few glasses of Helena's expensive champagne, however, and couldn't find even a tiny bit a guilt about it at all. 

As the flight attendant informed Myka that they would be landing soon, she sent James a quick message to let him know she'd be there soon. 

Partially expecting yet another car to pick her up, Myka was relieved to see James' face waiting for her on the tarmac. 

"JAMES!" Myka squealed excitedly as she practically ran towards him. 

"Oh god, you're loaded." He noted, taking a slight whiff of her alcohol drenched breath.

"Not. True." Myka argued wrapping her arms around his waist. 

"You didn't happen to notice that the reception was tonight did you?" James inquired, attempting to loosen Myka's tight grip on him. 

"Wouldn't know a thing. Didn't make the plans." Myka informed him, letting go and heading towards his rental car. 

"Well, this is going to be fun." He announced to no one in particular. 

———————————————————

The timetable allowed just enough time for Myka to drop her bags off at the hotel and to change before they would be expected at the reception. She wouldn't admit it but to say she struggled with a zipper or some eyeliner would be saying the least. Dressed in a dark purple ball gown, Myka produced a trumpet sound as she stepped out of the bathroom. 

"How do I look?" She asked, slightly swaying. 

"Drunk...but lovely. Shall we?" James seemed to be taking it all in stride. 

He offered her a breath mint in the car ride over and she happily accepted it, "Are we going to talk about why you're sloshed right now?" 

"Do we really need to?" Myka's was not slurring her words so she knows it isn't that bad. 

"Well, I guess not. You going to be okay tonight?" 

"Totally. Am I the girlfriend or just Myka the friend?" She had realized she hasn't asked much about the trip and suddenly feels terribly underprepared. 

"Well, I wasn't sure about that myself so I said I was bringing a close friend. Don't be surprised if there are assumptions as to what that means." His tone doesn't read as mad, it's more honestly matter of fact. 

"Oh goody, further ambiguity." 

———————————————————

The event is grand, comparable to some of the masquerades she and Pete have gone to while on the job. Oddly enough, she feels rather comfortable amongst the strangers. She supposes that years of undercover missions have served their purpose, after all, she was playing a character yet again. 

Everyone loved her. Though the conversation at their designated table was slow at first, Myka's eidetic memory later served as a party game for her new acquaintances. She had slowed down on her drinking but the open bar at these sorts of things was too good to pass up and James took note as she emptied yet another champagne flute. She delighted a growing crowd by her ability to quote nearly any play by heart, so much so that James felt it his duty to save her from doing a full one-person performance of Hamlet. 

"Myka, as much as I'd hate to take you away from this adoring crowd," James announced to the group of onlookers, "I feel that I would be doing you a disservice if I did not ask you to dance with me." 

Getting the hint that she may be drawing too much attention, Myka took the offered hand and allowed herself to be led to the dance floor as a slow song began to play. Taking their traditional stances, James led the way. 

"You seem to be enjoying yourself."

"I'm certainly not hating it." Myka admitted, trying very hard not to step on his feet. 

"I think this is the lightest you've seemed in months." 

"Is that a weight joke because now is so not the time to be an ass." Myka faltered a tad but recovered without anyone noticing.

"It was a comment on your wellbeing. You've been dealing with a lot." 

"That's one way to put it. Tonight's fun. I needed fun." 

"You need another breath mint." 

———————————————————

James cut Myka's drinking off after they finish dancing but he's not dumb enough to miss her slipping off any chance she can get. Toward the end of the night, he leaves her to say his goodbyes for the night and Myka finds one last glass before she is drug off to a car and then to the hotel. 

Throwing herself at the singular bed in the hotel room, Myka threw an arm over her eyes. "I love her." 

James stops untying his bow tie to turn and face the strewn mess of Myka before him. "Would you like to elaborate on that?" 

"No" She replied, not moving a muscle, "but I should." 

"Or you could not. You've had a lot to drink. I say the dumbest things when I drink." James took a set at the end of the bed by one of Myka's shoeless feet. 

"It is dumb. Not saying it but feeling it. I love Helena and it's so dumb." She lifted her arms from her eyes to see James' facial response. 

"Is it dumb because she's so much older than you?" 

At this Myka pulls her weight up into a semi-seated position. "What does that mean?"

"Well, a couple of years doesn't make a big difference at our age," James said prying Myka's other shoe off her foot, "but 150 plus years... well, I'd have second thoughts as well." 

Myka sat straight up, faster than she should have "YOU KNOW?!" 

"I notice things. Not many people have a signed first edition of an H.G. Wells novel. Even fewer have one signed to them." A knowing grin spreads across James' face. 

"Okay, hold on" Myka steadied herself against the headboard of the bed "what?" 

"You left that book in my apartment under the pillow, I picked it up to give back to you and noticed the signature, 'To Myka, all my love H.G. Wells'"

"But that doesn't necessarily mean it was Helena." 

"Well, I didn't know at first until I saw what she had written in the back..."

"The back??" Myka had never even noticed it. 

"Oh, you know, 'Oh my dear Myka, how my heart yearns for you. -Helena'" 

"The hell?!" Myka sprang from the bed in a fit of rage. 

"Okay, that wasn't fair. There's nothing in the back." James chuckled as he found a more comfortable position on the bed. 

"I'm going to kill you." Myka's face was red and her eyes were bulging. 

"Don't or you won't know how I found out." James warned with a cheeky grin. 

"Speak. Quickly." Myka was still standing but notably swaying just enough to remind both of them of her intoxication. 

"First you don't really work for the IRS, second she's English, third she's totally hot-"

"James. Quicker." She threatens. 

"She dropped off a pile of signed receipts for me to file, I cross checked the handwriting." He lays down and props up his head on his hand. 

"And you just assumed that the father of science fiction was a woman alive today and was working in an underground bar. Yep, sounds reasonable to me." Myka threw herself into an armchair by the window. 

"You don't really work for the IRS and I don't really work in real estate." James offers, closing his eyes. 

"Who. the. ever. loving. fuck. are. you?"

When he opens his eyes again he startled to see that Myka is standing above him on the bed, gun pointed at his head.

"You've had a bit too much to drink to be waving that around don't you think?" He says coyly. 

"WHO. ARE. YOU?" Myka yells. 

Placing a finger to the mouth of the gun, James redirected it to side "I'm a liaison for the Regents." 

Dropping the gun to her side, Myka took a long and calming breath "You knew the whole time." It's more of a statement than any sort of question.

"I did not like I told you, I figured it out." James confidently closed his eyes once more and rolled onto his back. "The Regents had already planned to buy your father's shop by request of Mrs. Frederick. Your showing up actually threw a bit of a hitch in the plans." 

"You've got to be kidding me. Why didn't you tell me?" Myka hiked up her dress and positioned herself on the corner of a dresser in front of the bed. 

"I'm a liaison, not a Regent. They only tell me what I need to know when I need to know it. Besides, it's all worked out now." 

Myka starts to laugh the kind of laugh people do when they are kind of losing it. She's heared it, she knows. 

"Oh. my. god. Do you know what I've done to be here? To save the bookstore? To-"

"to Helena?" 

"Well, no. That is what it is. Although having you around has been convenient." Myka picked up the ice bucket sitting beside of her and started chomping on the cubes. 

"Well as lovely as you are, especially right now, by the way, I'll be happy when I'm invited to your wedding reception." For this, he gets pelted right between the eyes by an ice cube. "OW!"

"That's not going to happen." She says definitively. 

"You love her." He reminds her.

"I know you asshole." 

"Then?" Intrigued, James at up and rested his weight on his outstretched hands behind him. 

"She's happy for me." 

"She's happy that you are in a fake relationship with me. That is fake. Not real. Not a thing." 

"You're missing the point," Myka leaves her perch and flops down on the bed beside of him, "she's not jealous, she not mad. She's happy for me. Do you know whose happy for someone else? A friend. Someone who has no interest in you and is waiting for the next woman...or man to come along and sweep her off her feet." 

"Maybe or she's just a really good person." James turned to face her, taking in her slightly smeared makeup and tousled hair. 

"Explain to me exactly why it is your are standing up for her right now...." Myka's eyes were growing watery by the minute. 

"Because you love her and I don't think that happens all too often." James tucked a stray curl behind Myka's ear, "I've seen what you do for people you love, you uprooted your entire life to make your dad happy and you accomplished that. You deserve to be happy too, Myka." 

She looses it. Absolutely loses it. Any composure she may have been attempting is now gone. With tears streaming down her face she says, "Do you have any idea how hard it is to be someone's third option?" 

"You know, I don't and I hope I never have to. It looks pretty damn awful." James attempts to wipe away a few of the tears but more replace them. 

"If I wasn't a mess right now, I'd punch you in the face." Her voice cracked halfway through her threat and she knows she doesn't mean it. "I'm tired of feeling like this. I can't have her there." 

"Tell her to leave. It's your bookstore now, tell her to go if it's going to make you happy. Live in your bookstore, read your stories to the kids, and start over. Just find a way to be light again."

"Liaison/Life coach. What a pick you are." Myka joked, wiping her face with the palms of her hands. "They should change your title to 'Guardian Angel.'" 

"Don't call me an angel just yet, you're sleeping on the pullout couch tonight." 

———————————————————

And she did. Sort of. Waking up an hour before her alarm, Myka cleaned herself up, packed her bag, and went down to the hotel cafe for breakfast. 

"How's your stomach today?" James asked, appearing behind her.

"Dear god, are you sure you're not some stupid angel?" 

James took a seat at the table across from her discarded plates, "I'll let your back answer that for you." 

Stretching to relieve some of the soreness from sleeping on a poorly constructed bed, Myka glared at him "Thanks for that by the way." 

She received a bow of the head from James as he reached for a menu from an empty table. "What time do you fly out?"

"Don't you know, oh planner of things?" She sips the last of her coffee as she waits for a response. 

"Helena really was the brains behind getting you here, I just supplied her with the dates and the times. How were the pancakes?" 

Myka gave him an unamused look in return. "The car should be here any time now." 

"Have you decided what you're going to do?" He asks setting the menu down and signals for a waiter. 

"I need a fresh start. She got one and I deserve the same." Myka glanced down at her phone, "My car is here, will I see you back at the store?" 

"You will, I'm positioned there until further notice. Good luck, Myka. I'm here, whatever you need."


	14. A Change of Direction

The plane ride home seemed quicker than before, she never imagined she'd have so many reasons to fly to England. In a way, it felt good to know it was her last. A Town Car was there to pick her up as she had assumed and she soaked up the last bit of solitude she had as they approached the bookstore. 

Gathering her belongings from the seat beside of her, Myka's scooted towards the opening car door. 

"Welcome home, Myka." Helena's voice was light, almost relieved. 

Myka stared at the backlit figure for a second before remembering to move once more, "Uh, thanks." She awkwardly stepped out of the car and into the empty road. "Thank you for the car... and the plane...and well... this car." She knew she was stumbling, she hadn't expected to face her issues immediately as she returned. 

"It was certainly my pleasure." Helena offered, as she followed the driver to the trunk of the car. She took Myka's bags from the chauffeur and passed along what Myka thought to be some fairly large bills. "I do hope you won't be too cross with me but I've done something..." 

Myka knew there had to be a catch to all of this, Helena hadn't been this generous for... well she couldn't quite remember when. The Warehouse offered little very opportunities to spend one's own money let alone pamper another. Rather than responding, Myka offered only a puzzled and frustrated look. 

"Ah yes, that's exactly what I was hoping to avoid. I promise I only did it in your very best interest." Helena added leading Myka to the storefront. 

Everything looked the same as she left it, at least so far. 

"I know we've been at odds, I'm not entirely sure why that is although I'm not saying that I do not deserve your crossness. I hope that this will make it up to you in some part." Helena held the door open for Myka and waited for her to enter. 

Taking a steadying breath, Myka nervously moved one foot in front of the other. 

There was a streak of color and then Myka could not breathe. Her airway was being constricted and she struggled to draw a breath. 

"Myka it's beautiful! It's amazing! I mean at first I was pissed as hell that you were gone but Jesus, look at this place! I want to live here! If it were closer I'd be here every day! I mean holy shit, it was kind of a dump before but you know like a nice dump because it was your dad's and you grew up here but I mean, yeah!" Claudia now also seemed to be struggling for breath after her stream of verbal consciousness. 

Myka's mind was attempting to keep up with it all but all she could do was look at Claudia's glowing face. Last she had seen her, Claudia had practically hated her. 

"Claud, don't get me wrong but... what are you doing here?" 

"H.G. invited us, didn't want to miss your big day." Pete stepped into her view from the sideline and he too seemed happy to see her. 

"I don't get it, I thought-" 

"We didn't get it before, I mean we'd still like to have you back with us but... we get it now." Claudia offered up, nestling beside Pete. 

"H.G. may have made a few calls. She told us how happy you were here and I guess, you know, we want you to be happy." Pete was visibly uncomfortable but this sort of thing usually was between them now. 

Myka knew how much must have changed for them to be here now. Taking a look back at Helena, Myka was absolutely befuddled. "I don't... I don't know what to say." Her chest began to tighten as she looked at Helena's uncertain expression. 

"Sure, I was super pissed at you when we were here last but Pete explained that he was just trying to help you be able to stay here and he's a pretty bad actor so I get why I had to be there to really sell the whole thing but... Myka this place is so cool!" 

Myka's brain was once again trying to keep up but hearing her whole plan coming unraveled or revealed right in front of her, it was getting hard to breathe again. 

"I uh, I... um, I'll be right back." Myka replied anxiously running the stairs to her room. 

Fighting back against the panic, Myka tried hard to calm her breathing. Pete. Claudia. Helena. The plan. Squeezing her hands into tight fists, Myka tried to count backward from one hundred but her heart was racing so fast she couldn't keep track. 

"Myka?" she could hear Helena's worried voice coming up the stairs. 

"Breathe. Breathe. For godsakes get a grip of yourself." Myka yelled to herself. 

Before Myka could calm herself entirely, her bedroom door opened and Helena's face transformed to horror. 

"MYKA! Myka what have you done!? My god are you alright??" She was taking Myka's hands into her own, only then did she realize that her nails had cut into her palms once more. The squeezing of her fists had only spread the blood further across her hands and onto the sides of her face where she had been pulling at her hair. 

"Myka, please. Speak to me, oh god Myka. I'm so sorry, Myka, please. Come back to me. Can you hear me, Myka?" Helena's voice was frantic and then she disappeared. 

Myka then felt a cold compress against her face, shaking her from her panicked state. She could see Helena's worried face, her eyes brimming with tears as she rubbed at the drying blood at the roots of Myka's hair. 

"I..." Myka tried to say something, anything but she choked.

"Myka, please, are you alright?" Helena was trying to calm her voice, trying to gain control once more. 

"I... I... I'm sorry... I..." Myka tried again with no luck of gaining any sort of stability over her own body. 

"Shhhhh, love, shhhhhh. It's okay, it's okay. You're alright. Just breathe. Breathe, darling." Helena's voice was sweet, motherly. She finished with Myka's face and moved to clean her hands. Noticing the still healing crescents from a previous attack, Helena's eyes seemed worried once more. "Myka, what's happened? Your hands, what.... what happened?"

Myka looked down at her hands still covered in blood, she wrenches them back toward her. "I'm fine." 

"I'd say not! What happened?" Her tone had turned angered once more. 

"Helena. I'm. Fine." Myka barked back. 

"You take a look at yourself right now and I dare you Myka, I dare you to say that to me again." Helena's teeth showed as she growled out each word. 

Wiping the remaining wet blood on her pants, Myka looked back at her hands and moves towards the hall bathroom. 

Knowing better than to block her way, Helena moved to the side and allowed Myka through. Helena could hear the sound of running water and she waited in the middle of Myka's childhood bedroom for her to return. 

When she did, Myka was holding a hand towel, pressing it between her palms. She didn't look Helena in the eye and Helena didn't push her to.

Myka took a seat on her bed and after a drawn out silence, she spoke. "It all became too much. I just... I didn't... I had a plan. I was doing what I knew was best and it... it all became too much."

Helena took a seat at the wooden desk by Myka's window, "Myka, I'm so sorry. I thought having your friends here would be... would be a welcome surprise." 

"No." It's a growl, a warning. Myka lifted her head and looked Helena in the eyes, "It's not welcome. I made a plan, I stuck to it but you, you had to come and make your own plans. Your plans took over, they pulverized mine. You didn't ask, no one asked. No one ever asks what I wanted." 

"Myka..." 

"Stop." 

"Alright." 

Refolding the hand towel to reveal a more clean area, Myka took deep breaths. "I'm sick and tired of everyone thinking they know what's best for me. My father, you, James, even Mrs. Frederick not a single one of you had the decency to see what I wanted, what I wanted to do. You all set plans and traded secrets, you worked against me each and every time." 

"And the old marks, are those my doing as well?" 

Myka wanted to look away from Helena's pleading eyes but she couldn't. She couldn't stop now. "You didn't even think to ask if I wanted to go to London. You didn't ask me if I wanted to put my life on hold to go be someone else's arm candy." 

Dropping her head into her hands, Helena's voice was soft, "I was trying to help. James cares so deeply for you and I wanted to help you be together. I'm sorry."

"You wanted. Do you see? Do you see how it wasn't about me at all?" Myka tried to lower her voice, tried to put her anger to rest but it fought against her. "Every single transition was a reminder that you had orchestrated the entire thing, the car, the plane, every single thing was a reminder of how little say I had in the manner. You're a ghost Helena. There is no Emily Lake, there is no Helena Lake. There is no Atlas Industries, just your ghost of a hand controlling things step by step." 

"Mykes, everything alright up here?" Pete's voice echoed in the silence. "Hey is everything- woah, what happened?" He made a sudden stop, noting the women's posture and tension in the room. "Uh, I'll just..." 

"You can stay Peter, I believe it is best that I am the one to go." Helena stood and without a glance to Myka, she existed quietly. 

"So uh... you wanna talk about it?" Pete took a seat beside Myka on her bed. 

"I want to do anything but that right now." She admited, looking Pete in the eyes.

"That bad, huh?" 

"That bad." 

———————————————————

Myka didn't try to explain it all to Pete and luckily he was willing to give her some space. They descended the stairs together and began looking for Claudia. 

"Hey Claude, where are ya?" Pete yelled when he doesn't see her waiting for them to return. 

"Over here!" came a shout from what seemed like below them. 

Pete and Myka followed the noise to discover Claudia comfortably spread across a large bean bag with her nose in a comic book. 

The area beneath the stairs had been transformed from a broom closet into a cozy reading nook with twinkle lights, a painted starry sky ceiling, and a wall of comic books. It was everything Myka had hoped for and more. 

"Oh man, scoot over!" Pete yelped as he practically dove on top of Claudia, "She's right, this place is way cool." 

"Oh and check this out!" Claudia commanded as she rolled over on the bean bag and pushed a small button on the closest wall. Suddenly the twinkle lights dimmed and a slight fog was collected around the ceiling. Then suddenly there were beams of colored light, mimicking the colors and movement of the Northern Lights. "Isn't this like the coolest thing you've ever seen?" 

Myka wasn't sure what to say. It was amazing, it was so beautiful. She could just imagine herself as a kid coming and laying down to watch the lights dance and flow through their air. It was miraculous, she thought, it was Helena. 

———————————————————

Myka hadn't said much after they left the bookstore, she had treated Pete and Claudia to some pizza and video games at the town arcade and was left chewing away at her straw like the other two battled on to become the next dance superstar. 

Watching them laugh and dance (horribly on Pete's half) was a relief, she realized how much she had missed them, how good it felt to be with friends. Sweaty with defeat, Pete crashed down on the seat next to Myka. 

"You know I think that game is biased against the buff." He declared while gasping for breath, "You know, all this muscle is a lot harder to move than Claudia's little computer arms." 

Myka had missed Pete's sense of humor, "Is it muscle or" she poked at his protruding tummy "or pizza that you're moving around there?" 

Pete attempted to look horrified at Myka's proposal but laughed instead, ruining his facade. "Okay, fair point but I totally beat her fair and square on the duck hunt." 

"I would hope so, Agent Lattimer." 

"Where's she now?" Myka asked, looking through the games to find her.

"She's showing some little future losers that girls have game. Speaking of, when's this big shindig of yours?" Pete asked shoveling another piece of pizza into his mouth. 

Myka had almost completely forgotten about the grand opening, she'd have to see Helena then. "Tomorrow morning, the whole town is expected to be there." 

"So you're pretty much a big deal here then?" Myka wished he'd wait to finish chewing before speaking but then again she wouldn't have him any other way. 

"I guess so? The bookstore is historical, I think the town will be happy to see it returned to its former glory....or maybe even improved from that." 

"Yeah no joke, H.G. showed us some of the remodel and I gotta say, Univille could use a place like that." Immediately he wished he hadn't said her name. Myka's face was stoic. "So she must have messed up real bad." 

"Honestly, Pete, it wasn't just her." Myka couldn't believe what she was saying, "it's a lot of things, it's just worse because-"

"because she's Helena." 

"Yeah," Myka nodded, "I think so." 

"You know, I was surprised when she called. I didn't think we'd be hearing from her anytime soon. Well, Claudia talks to her all the time but that's different." Pete's eyes were now watching a couple of small children playing some games. "She called a couple of times actually, each of us got a call specifically for us. Even Steve got one." 

 

Myka wasn't sure what to say so she just watched him speak, glossy eyed and reminiscing. 

"She was really proud of you, she never said it in words but we could all tell that it meant a lot to her that you were happy. I think she put the pieces together about us and she seemed to really like the new guy, what's his name? Jim?"

"James." 

"Yeah, James. By the way is that legit?" He turned to her with those kind eyes, she couldn't help but love a little.

"No, it's not. I just needed an excuse to stay." Myka admitted, slightly ashamed for using James that way. 

"Didn't think so." Turning back to the arcade he continued, "Well she thought so and I could tell that was kind of hard for her to admit in the little way she did." 

"Pete, when we staged that fight. Those things you said..."

"Listen, I was mad and I'm sorry I went off script like that. You know it's hard for me to see you somewhere else. You're my partner, my buddy. I kinda... well it got to me more than I thought it would. I wanted the dream team to be enough of a reason for you to stay. " 

"Pete-"

"No, let me finish. That fight actually helped me realize some things. You know, I kinda thought you left us to...well... to be with H.G." 

Myka laughed a little bit, "Honestly, I thought you were going that direction."

"And that's why you pulled James in?" 

"Yep, I'm that kind of person." 

Pete placed a hand on her should and squeezed. "Totally had a vibe about that." 

"I was worried you would." Myka leaned into him and nudged him with her shoulder. "I didn't leave to be with anyone." 

"I know that now, we didn't work. It didn't make sense. You were always like a sister to me, man that sounds weird now." Pete scrunched his face but continued, "I mean I'd rather have you as a friend than anything. I guess we both got what we wanted." 

"Yeah, I don't know..." Myka bowed her head, trying to hide the conflicting feels from showing on her face. 

"You may not have left for her but I know you still love her." Pete removed his arm from Myka's shoulder and folded his hands in his lap. 

Rather than replying, Myka took a long inhalation. 

"It's okay, you know. That you love her." 

"Yeah, but that still doesn't change things." Myka raised her head and brushed back the hair that has fallen in front of her eyes. "We're not as great of a team as I thought we were." 

"Have you spoken to her much while she's been here?" 

"I guess that depends on what you call 'speaking' she was just so accepting of everything. She fit right in and everyone loved her and she... it wasn't what I wanted, Pete." 

"You know that I didn't like you that much when we first met right?" Pete moved to straddle the bench they were seated on. 

"The feeling was mutual, I promise." 

"I couldn't stand you because you were so by the book. You wanted things your way and that was it. God, I couldn't stand you." He laughed thinking about how strange it all was in the beginning. 

"Pete, tell me there is a point to this." 

"There is, I promise. What I'm trying to say is that the Warehouse changes things. Helena changed things for you. I'm not saying that you rolled over or anything but when she left it seems like she took that part of you with her." Pete's tone was so sympathetic that it was grating on Myka's nerves. 

"Very poetic. Point please." 

"I haven't heard you say what you wanted since you lied about James in the bookstore that day. Sure it was a lie but it nice to know you were putting your foot down somewhere. When we were in Boone, I was kind of rooting for you."

"What do you mean?" Myka said, startled by the mention of that mission. 

"I saw that moment, I was there. I thought maybe you would just ask her to come back with us but you didn't." 

"Pete she was happy there, she wanted to be there." Myka argued defensively. 

"Yeah, I know that's what she said but you didn't say anything. You let her make a choice without knowing what you wanted. I wanted a cheeseburger and you know what we stopped to get?"

"Pete, you were driving."

"Still valid." 

"Okay," Myka said running her fingers through her hair, "I get it. You've made your point."

"Good, now you know what I want?"

"Me to tell Hel-"

"Ice cream."  
———————————————————

Myka doesn't see Helena that evening as they returned to the bookstore. She doesn't really expect to but she had hoped just a tiny bit that she would be downstairs working on some last minute adjustments. 

Instead, she got ready for bed. Contrary to most people's expectations of Pete, he could sometimes be pretty observant. Putting on a pair of sweatpants, she headed down the hall the bathroom. Accidentally spilling some face cleanser onto her hands, Myka hissed in pain. She couldn't believe she let Helena see her that way, covered in her own blood and hyperventilating. She was such a mess. Grabbing the clippers from the medicine cabinet, Myka trimmed back the offending nails. She didn't know how it had all gotten so out of hand.

Tomorrow would be different, she would make sure of it.


	15. A Hit on the Rocks

Myka woke up long before her alarm was set to go off. Knowing that she was in for a long day of socializing she decided to take the morning for herself. Finding an old pair of running shoes, Myka followed the running path she took when she was in school. She forgot how enjoyable the town could be in the morning when everyone else was still asleep. She loved this route when she was younger, maybe she could turn back the clocks just enough to remember how easy it seemed. 

She knew nothing would be easy. She knew nothing between her and Helena ever was. Helena may not want her and that's something she will have to be prepared for. She knew they may never be able to work through the years of things left unsaid, but today she's willing to try. She set her pace and cleared her mind of everything else. 

After circumnavigating the downtown area, Myka headed upstairs for a shower and a change before everyone would arrive. There was a lot riding on today, she knew it was time to step up.

A knock on her bedroom door alerted her of the time, "Hey Mykes, you ready for this?" Pete's voice was a welcome interruption. 

"Absolutely." She responded opening the door and confidently leading the way downstairs. 

Pete couldn't help but smile. 

———————————————————

The morning has a blur of town newspaper reporters, ribbon cuttings, and handshaking. Myka was happy she never chose to go into politics, she much preferred a less visual presence in the world. Flocks of people from all over town and the surrounding area flooded the store. Whatever money they had lost from closing the shop for construction, they would make up today. Helena was nowhere to be seen but Myka imagined that was likely on purpose. Myka had been so angry at her last they talked, no one could blame her for avoiding further confrontation. 

Claudia was a wiz on the register and Pete was happy to show the kids how the reading nook transformed. To be honest, he probably spent as much time in there as anyone of the children did. Without James, they were a tad shorthanded but Warren was more than happy to help new customers navigate the store and often suggested what he referred to as "better books" than the ones they were looking for. All-in-all, it had been a success. They now owned more muffin baskets and congratulatory flowers than any one person should be given in a lifetime. In the coming days, Myka swore more interviews would be published featuring her name more times than she's ever written herself. She never realized how much work went into being the face of a business. 

By three Myka decided that she could not shake one more hand or smile at one more person. "Dad, I'm going to go upstairs for a little bit, maybe eat something. You alright down here?" Warren was more than happy to take her place at the door and speak to the costumers about the amazing renovations that had been done. She checked in which Pete and received a thumbs up and then with Claudia who quoted a movie Myka is certain she had never seen. Slowly she dragged her body up the stairs and onto her parent's couch in the living room. 

———————————————————

When Myka woke up, it was dark out and panic set in immediately. 

"Worry not, Agent Bering. All is well below." 

Squinting against the darkness, Myka's eyes failed to make out any shapes at all. She stood and immediately walked straight into an armchair. Grunting out of pain Myka managed a kind greeting, "Mrs. Frederick, good morning." 

"So it would seem. I am to believe that today was as you hoped it would be." 

"Uh," Myka now rubbing her shin while attempting to find a light switch was not quite prepared to answer such a question, "well it certainly is a lot of work. I look forward to it slowing down. After all the buzz, it should be able to go back to some sort of peaceful existence. Then again it is owned by the Regents so." It's an odd time to joke and normally Myka wouldn't but she was already vulnerable so why not add to it. 

"It is the Regents' hope that you will find this to be a suitable place for yourself. Of course, if you should ever find yourself in need of a change of scenery, that too can be arranged." 

"Is it me, Mrs. Frederick, or are you being even more mysterious than usual?" Finally, Myka found her way to a familiar wall and flipped on the lights. "Ah, there we go." 

Turning back to the room, Myka partly expected Mrs. Frederick to be gone but, instead, she was now seated in her father's armchair across the room. "I come to you with an opportunity, one the regents have never offered another agent before." 

Myka sighed and found herself a seat, thinking it best for the occasion. "Alright, what is it?"

"Agent Wells has come forward with an odd request. She wished for her current position to be reconsidered." 

Myka's heart dropped into her stomach. She couldn't believe Helena was leaving again. 

Mrs. Frederick continued, however, "she wishes her position to be reconsidered by you." 

Myka's head snapped in her direction "What? How is that even-"

"Each agent's assignment is a well-placed piece in a very long game, Agent Bering. The Regents have never before allowed an agent to chose the destiny of another. Not until today." 

"Mrs. Frederick, how am I-" Myka ran her fingers through her hair nervously. 

"Agent Wells believes her current placement has been a detriment to her fellow agents. Given her behavioral history, the Regents are inclined to believe her." 

"So then, the decision has already been made." Myka dropped her head into her hands. 

"If it were up to the Regents the answer would be yes, but it is not. Agent Wells subjected herself to a thorough psychiatric examination this morning which resulted in the approval of her request."

Snapping up, Myka's face was awash with confusion, "Psychiatric exam? Jesus. So now I'm supposed to..."

"She wishes for you to decide if she is to stay." 

"How long do I have to decide?" 

"Perhaps it's best if you understand everything involved first," Mrs. Frederick warned her, "After making the request, Agent Wells and the Regents felt it wise to remove the memory from her mind." 

"They what?!" Myka rose to her feet in anger. 

"Agent Bering, it is the only way to know that you are acting on your own accord. Agent Wells will have no memory of the last 24 hours and it is best that it stays that way until a decision has been made." 

"She'll notice, you know she will. She'll remember our...our conversation and then what? Nothing?" Myka challenged.

"She assisted in the creation of the new memories. She clearly thought through every detail." Mrs. Frederick countered. 

"How long?" Myka didn't want to hurt anymore, she just wanted to see Helena and make sure she was alright. 

"30 days." 

———————————————————

Myka hurriedly clambered down the steps and into the elevator. There were a number of people waiting and she decided to calm herself in order to avoid rousing suspicions. On the way down she made small talk with a number of townsfolk, commenting on the craftsmen who were responsible for the lift's design. Myka offered them as little information as possible but encouraged their ooh's and ahh's. 

When the doors opened, Myka determined that the entire rest of the town must be empty. Of course, it was impossible to make it directly to the bar. Business owners, reporters, and politicians alike flocked to Myka with congratulations and inquiries as to the origins of the establishment. She did her best to offer what she could as she politely passed by them. 

At last Myka was able to catch sight of Helena's dark hair behind the bar. She was all teeth and laughter as she made drinks and offered witty flirtations to the newcomers. Myka swore Helena must have done this sort of work before. Myka approached the bar as one of the gentlemen finished a rather crude and unforgiving joke about English women. Helena offered one of her more insincere laughs and turned her back on them until he left. 

"Vodka tonic." Myka yelled over the boisterous noise. 

Helena whipped her head around to take in Myka's demeanor, having recognized her voice above the ruckus. After they last spoke, she expected Myka to avoid her entirely and yet here she was looking at Helena in the same way she was likely looking at her.

"Righty ho!" 

Helena set about making the drink, as Myka watched on. She wasn't even sure what she was looking for but she'd know when she saw it. Now gnawing on her own bottom lip, Myka was stirred from her concentration by a woman offering her number to Helena on a napkin. Helena took the napkin and tucked it into a back pocket where she seemed to have collected a few others. 

"On the house." Helena declared as slid Myka her drink. Knowing where Myka's eyes were just previously, she was not sure if she felt flattered or fearful of the backlash. 

Rather than comment on Helena's obvious popularity, Myka raised the drink to her lips and took a healthy sip. "I am the house." She finally replied with a hint of a smirk at the edges of her lips. 

Helena offered her a salute and was then called to another customer at the bar. Whatever it was she came looking for, she wouldn't find it this way. 

Myka stayed put for a while, watching familiar faces greet one another. She had yet to see Pete or Claudia and began the dreadful search, offering more smiles and handshakes as she went. She spied her mother and father rubbing elbows with the mayor and offered a wave in their direction as she continues her search. 

Sure enough, Pete and Claudia had found room at a small table in the back corner. Myka made a mental note to order taller seating as she had passed by this section not but ten minutes ago. 

"MYKES! You made it!" Pete was already on his feet awaiting a large embrace. 

Knowing that he probably deserved it, after the many children he helped to distract at her parents shopped, she gave in. 

Claudia finally looked up for her phone in time to catch Myka leaning in to give her a one-armed hug. "I don't how H.G. did it, but my cell service is like amazing down here. Did you notice how far down we are?" 

"Actually Claude, I have no clue. How sad is that." She pulled up a spare chair to the table. 

"Well if you measure it by typical elevator speeds, you'd be mistaken. I think she really suped that baby up. I wouldn't be surprised if we were 50 feet under." Claudia admitted, diving back into her phone screen. 

"I'm sure she'd be more than happy to tell you all about it when she's through charming the rest of my father's former high school friends." Myka responded, attempting to see the bar from her seat. No such luck.

"You doing okay down here?" Myka asked, turning her attention to Pete.

"You betcha, was actually thinking about taking a walk in a bit." 

"A walk?" Myka's eyebrow quirked up at the thought to Pete Lattimer seeking out unnecessary exercise. 

"It's a girl." Claudia informed her, not even looking up from her device. 

Myka made no effort in hiding her surprise, "A girl he likes to talk to on the phone to! Do tell!"

"A lady never kisses and tells," Pete responded as he stood and began to make his way through the crowd. 

"You are so going to have to fill me in on that." Myka commented to Claudia as she watched Pete nearly get knocked out by one man's large hand gesturing. 

"Oh don't you worry, I'm way ahead of you..." Claudia turned her phone for Myka to see and unsurprisingly, she had access to the woman's numerous legal documents. 

"Sometimes, Claude, you're too skilled for your own good. Let him figure it out on his own." Myka thought for second and then added "On second thought, make sure she doesn't have a history of dead boyfriends and then let him figure it out on his own." 

Claudia rolled her eyes but clicked off her phone anyway. 

"What about you? Anyone I should know about?" It's been a while and Myka feels guilty. 

"Nope, not unless you count my this guy I met playing-"

"I'm going to stop you there Claude and tell you that it doesn't count, BUT, there is a very cute guy who has been trying to get your attention ever since I sat down. My 3 o'clock." Myka doesn't wait for a response before she yells "Go get 'em, tiger." 

Myka made her way back to the bar for a second drink. 

As if sensing her arrival, Helena set Myka's drink down in front of her. Myka smiled and there is a visible easy of Helena's shoulders. Myka wanted to say something, anything. Instead, she took a drink from the glass and played with the edge of the cocktail napkin below it. Claudia seemed to have found something in common with her admirer and the two were now playing darts across the way. 

Helena slid a different drink in front of her and Myka looked up confused. Helena offered no verbal answer but eyed a man at the end of the bar. She should have known that some her high school peers would be there. Myka mouthed the word "reunion" to Helena. 

Kurt made his way over to Myka's side of the bar and leaned into her, "You never called. I'm disappointed." 

Myka wished she could tell him it was Pete that had enjoyed spending time with, instead she smiled in reply. "Haven't you heard? I'm seeing someone." They're practically yelling, meaning she knows Helena was privy to what was happening even though her actions did not show it. 

"I hadn't heard. Do I know him?" Kurt asked, still hovering in Myka's personal space.

"Doubt it, he's not from around here." Kurt's disappointment was easy to read. "Do I at least get to shake the man's hand?" 

"Unfortunately, no. He's not here tonight." 

At this Kurt's mood seemed to pick up, "He missed your grand opening? Sounds like a douche." 

"He's actually pretty great. He helped get the place ready." 

Kurt's disappointment returned once more and he turned his attention to Helena. "What about her? One of yours?" 

Myka could physically see Helena pause for just a second too long meaning she was in fact listening. "I don't know, you'll have to ask her. She came with the renovations." Technically it's not a lie. 

"Do you mind?" Kurt asked, leaning onto the bar.

Myka shook her head and turned her eyes to the crowd behind her. 

As if on cue, Myka heard Helena ask if she can get him anything to drink. Kurt ordered another beer and Myka could hear from the way his voice changed that he was trying to win Helena over with his smile.

"Anything else?" Helena asked, setting the bottle on the bar top. 

"Your name?" Kurt asked smoothly. 

Helena laughed in reply, she had heard it before and was slightly disappointed to hear one of Myka's previous paramours lacked any originality. "Emily." 

Myka smiled, her back still to Helena. 

"Thank you, Emily." 

Myka turned back to Kurt now as he sipped his beer, "And?" 

"I'm working on it," Kurt took another look at Helena and then back to Myka, "did you see how many numbers she's got crammed into that pocket?" 

Myka feigned ignorance and glanced at Helena bent over the ice box. "Looks like you need to step up your game then." 

Kurt laughed and drained his beer, "Got any suggestions?" 

Myka thought for a moment and removed the napkin from beneath her drink. Grabbing a pen from the bar top, she scribbled something down and waited for Helena to return.

Kurt was intrigued by this and called Helena over for another beer. While she went to fetch one from the cooler, Myka drained the remainder of her vodka tonic and offered a wink to Kurt. 

"Anything else I can get for you?" Helena asked, taking the empty glass from the counter. 

Myka produced the folded cocktail napkin and offered it to her. 

Helena seemed to pause for a moment looking between Kurt and Myka before taking the napkin and slipping it under the partially unbuttoned shirt she was wearing. 

Called by a woman at the opposite end of the bar, Myka noticed a new subtle stiffness in Helena's posture as she walks away. 

Oblivious to the slight change Myka's actions had caused, she heard Kurt begin what she hoped was not a slow clap. It was indeed, a slow clap. 

———————————————————

Though many of the locals seemed bent on spending as much time in the speak-easy as possible, Myka quickly found she was in need of some peace and quiet. Saying good night to Kurt, she headed upstairs to the office to wait. 

Due to the in and out traffic of the bar, Myka shut her door to drown out the noise. Checking the sales spreadsheets for the day, she was proud. It seemed like things were finally falling into place. A knock on Myka's door promised further success. 

"Come in." Myka called, as she straightened up the papers on her desk. 

"I believe you wish to speak to me." Helena offered, holding the napkin in the air. 

"Yes, I did. Do. I do wish to speak to you." Myka decided to hold her tongue and gestured to the only other chair in the small office. "Everything alright downstairs?"

"It is a well-greased wheel, Samuel has taken over for the evening." Helena admonished, hesitantly sitting in the old wooden chair in front of Myka's desk.

"I didn't see you this morning." It's meant to be a kind observation but the tiredness in Myka's voice made it sound more flat.

"I did not feel well, should I have rung?" Helena asked defensively. "Have you brought me here to scold me like a child?" 

"Helena, no-" With all that happened today, Myka hadn't stopped to consider what Helena's feeling may be like post memory erasure. 

"Because I will not lie to you, Myka. The show you put on a moment ago was beneath you." Helena's voice portrayed not only anger but hurt. 

"Helena I-"

"You may see me as a ghost, Myka, but I am very much here. I know I've caused you pain but not even I deserve to be treated so despicably." 

"What are you-" 

"You used me. You used me to show off to your little friend. Did it feel good, Myka? Did it feel good to show him that you have power over me? For your sake, I hope it was worth it." 

Helena didn't give Myka a second to make any more excuses, she turned on her heels leaving Myka to scratch her head in confusion. 

Myka thought for a moment, playing through the day's events. She had never imagined their conversation would take such a drastic turn. What had she done?

———————————————————

The next morning it hit her. The 24 hours that Helena was now missing had been crucial for Myka. She had realized that she had been blaming everyone except herself. The day before she woke up to take on the world, she tried to carry that confidence into her talk with Helena and... and she came off like an arrogant asshole. Helena couldn't have known about Myka's revelation, all she saw was what she knew. Myka had added insult to injury. 

Feeling like a true ass, Myka rolled out of bed and put on a pair of sweatpants and an oversized sweater. Thankfully it was a Sunday meaning most of the stores in town were closed and not expected to open until the following day. This meant she had some time to find Helena and apologize. Warren had left some coffee in the pot in the kitchen and Myka helped herself to it. It was likely going to be a long day and this time she would try and be more careful. She had come on strong last night and today subtlety would be her friend. 

Hoping to at least set eyes on Helena, Myka went for another run around the town. Everyone was gushing about their night and wanted to share their thanks with her. Instead, they were offered a smile and a wave as she continued on in search of the other woman. Her first lap of the town was a disappointment, Helena was nowhere to be seen. Not even her room at the bed and breakfast which she may have inquired about when the Millers were raving about the bookstore. She had found Pete and Claudia preparing to head back to the airport and offered them sweaty hugs goodbye and an enthusiastic thank you for being there for her. "Before you ask, we don't know where she is." They had been staying just down the hall from Helena's room and hadn't heard her return. She couldn't imagine where Helena could have gone, she didn't even know if she had a car here. She really didn't know anything about Helena's time there at all. 

Heading back to the bookstore to clean herself up, Myka nearly sprinted over as she saw a familiar Town Car pulling up to the curb. Now may not be the best she's ever looked but she was growing desperate to see Helena's face. To apologize. She knew she had to play her cards right, she couldn't come on too strong so she waited by the entrance to the shop for Helena to disembark. 

"Aw, you've missed me!" James declared, his hands raised in the air. 

Myka tried to hide her disappointment but James noticed it right away. 

"Oh no, what have you done now?" 

———————————————————

"So you basically ran into a china shop with guns a blazin'." James shouted over the sound of running water. Myka had attempted to explain to James what had happened downstairs but he insisted she at least took a shower if this conversation was going to last much longer. He was leaning against the door frame of the bathroom while Myka conveyed each and every detail of her conversation with Pete and the various variables she had failed to take into consideration later that night in between her lather, rinse, and repeat. 

"For a lack of a better description, yes." Myka admitted, popping her head out from behind the shower curtain. She wasn't surprised to see James internally laughing. "You could at least try and be a tad more subtle you know." 

"Coming from you, that's even funnier." James retorted. "For someone so obsessed with plans and following them, you really do manage to muck things up on your own."

"I know, if it weren't me I would be laughing too. Can you hand me a towel?" She was turning off the water as a hand with a towel appeared next to her head. "Thanks." 

Wrapping herself up, Myka stepped out of the shower and laughed as she noticed one of James' hands covering his eyes. "While I appreciate the gesture, I don't think I have any dignity left." 

James chuckled in return and dropped his hand to his side. "Sounds like you have quite a bit of work ahead of you."

"I think that's putting it mildly." Myka noted, wringing out any excess water in her hair into the sink. 

The clang of the downstairs bell above the door startled them both and Myka quickly pushed James down the hall and into her room. She held her breath as she heard two sets of footsteps ascending the stairs. While she may be an adult now, there were some experiences she'd rather not have with her family. Turning to the room, Myka looked for a t-shirt or something to throw on just in case. Finding an old high school hoodie, Myka threw it on over her wet hair as James kindly turned his back. Towel now secured at her waist she scrambled to put on a pair of shorts, the footsteps now growing much louder. 

"Myka, are you in there?" Warren's voice bellowed just steps away from her door.

"Uh yeah, dad! I'll be right out." Shooing James behind the door, Myka stepped out into the hallway. "Where'd you and mom-" 

"Myka I've invited Helena to have dinner with us this evening as a thank you. It's about time we show her what the town has to offer in terms of fine dining." Standing just behind Warren was a displeased Helena Wells. "Be sure to invite James as well, we can't allow their hard work to go unnoticed." 

Myka awkardly pulled at the hem of her athletic shorts, shifting her weight as she does so. "Uh, yeah, that sounds like a great idea. We do owe you a great deal." It's a loaded statement and she hoped Helena would understand. 

"Alright then it's settled, I'll go find your mom and ask her to press my pants." Warren said, leaving Helena and Myka alone to stare at one another. 

Helena seemed to be deciding her next course of action and before Myka could say anything else Helena stepped towards her. "Will you be needing your pants pressed as well, Jameson?" 

There was a creak of the floor boards and James popped his head around the ajar door. "Um, no, I think I'll be alright." 

Myka cursed Helena's keen perceptiveness. "Helena, I really would like to-"

"No, no, don't let me disturb you two. I'll see you both this evening." Her voice was crisp and kind, Myka knew it was mostly to save James from any secondhand embarrassment. 

James offered her an awkward wave and Helena eyed Myka before turning to follow Warren's path. 

"Guns a blazin'" James commented, clearly humored by Myka's luck. 

"Shoot me with one of them please."


	16. An Inevitable Surrender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dinner with Helena, Warren, and her mother causes some unexpected distress and Myka finally comes apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Thank you all so much for reading this, I'm working on my writing and I would really appreciate any feedback you have!

By the time afternoon rolled around, Myka's nails were all but stubs and her hair resembled something of a hairball a cat would cough up. 

James would have laughed had it not been so incredibly unfortunate, "so how are we playing this whole dinner thing?"

Attempting to tie her hair up, Myka turned to him with an exhausted expression, "if I only knew..." 

She hadn't noticed James getting dressed in his finest, he looked quite adorable in his sports jacket and pressed pants. Helena would get a kick out of that.

They had retreated back to James' apartment in hopes of avoiding further damaging run-ins with the others. James had taken a shower as Myka sat in silence, staring out his bay window. As the hours drew near, she had drug herself into his bathroom to get ready.

"Honestly, I have no idea what to do. I've really fucked things up." Myka admitted, turning back to the mirror and taking in her own pallor. "If we don't act like a couple, my parents are going to figure out I've been lying to them. If we do, Helena might find a way to hate me even more." 

"Here's a thought," James said tightening his necktie, "Maybe you just tell the truth for once." 

Frustrated, Mya turned to him with hell in her eyes. The quick motion of her body left her bare feet searching for traction on the wet bathroom floor. 

With no hope in sight, James sprung to Myka's aid, grabbing her by the bicep to steady her. 

"Ugh, thanks." Myka said defeatedly, "All you do these days is save me from my own stupidity." 

Moving his hand from her arm to her shoulder, James took a look into Myka's desolate eyes "You meant well. You always mean well." 

He placed a quick peck on the top of her head and excused himself from the bathroom. 

"Tell them to put that on my grave!" Myka yelled after him. 

———————————————————  
Attempting to make the best of the situation, Myka dressed in one of her nicer dresses she had packed. The open back and low neckline may be a bit indulgent as she selfishly hoped it might catch Helena's attention but she decided on bringing along a sweater for her father's sake. 

"You look beautiful, she won't be able to ignore that." James noted as they made their way toward the bookstore. 

"She doesn't ignore much, it's a double-edged sword." Myka huffed as she saw her parents standing outside waiting for them. 

"There they are!" Warren announced, seemingly jarring Helena from a bit of laughter she was sharing with Jeannie. "Shall we?"

Myka nodded and the groups set off down the street to Vera Mae's, a small bistro that had long been a misplaced gathering of elegance for the town. 

They were greeted warmingly by the Peterson's who made sure to comment on how much Myka had grown since they last saw her. It was after she had gotten her acceptance letter from the University of Colorado. Her parents had been so proud that they sprung for a fancy meal but no dessert. 

Having been seated by the window, Myka was thankful to have some distraction from the tension that would set in. 

For the most part, her conversational responsibilities were few. She kindly laughed at her father's anecdotes and groaned as he told Helena and James embarrassing tales of her childhood. Occasionally there would be a tap on the window and the attention would be drawn to the other side where her father's friends would be waving. Being seen at Vera Mae's had always served as a signal of status in the community and Warren was more than happy to wave back and motion to his full table of guests. 

It was apparent that Helena had decided to revert to her Victorian upbringing as she stayed quiet for most of the meal and spoke only to egg Warren on to brag about another one of his accomplishments as a father or businessman. Myka decided that even the facade of happiness on Helena's face was more beautiful than that of anyone on their happiest day. She wanted so badly to see it turn genuine, she waited hoping it would as dessert arrived. 

"Now James, my boy, you have made yourself a place in this family and I think it's about time we had a talk." Warren announced to the table. 

Myka could feel the heat begin to rise to her face. 

"Uh, yes sir. I would be happy to have that conversation with you. Of course, I'm sure the ladies would like to be spared." James responded, hoping to avoid an instant downfall for the evening. 

"Well I don't see why you are in a relationship with my daughter are you not?" Warren asked, his attention on the key lime pie before him.

"Yes sir, I am." James replied, hoping that Myka had not thought up a different plan for the discussion. 

"Then she should be present to hear your intentions." Warren retorted raising a loaded fork to his mouth. 

Myka squirmed in her seat, the room suddenly feeling too small and warm for comfort. 

Myka's mother seemed to notice a change in her daughter and attempted to dispell the line of inquiry, "Warren, really, Helena has not joined us this evening to be privy to your interrogation-"

"I will see to my daughter's well-being as I please." Warren interrupted. 

Myka loves her father, she truly does but this part of him. This she hates. She hurriedly pulled the sleeves of the sweater from her heated skin and reacheed for the glass of water before her, hoping to soothe some of the panic that has begun assaulting her. 

As she raised the glass to her mouth there was a gasp, "Myka!" Helena's voice was piercing. The hum of the restaurant ceased and all eyes were on her as she freezed, her glass pressed to her lips. 

Myka looked to the others, their faces seemed to mimic the surprise that she had just witnessed in Helena's eyes. They were not looking at her, not her face anyway, their faces were contorted and focused just to the side of her. 

Following the line of vision, Myka saw the large darkening handprint along her bicep. James' handprint. 

She hadn't remembered his grip being so tight, she hadn't felt a force hard enough to cause such a mark and yet there it was, growing more clear it seemed as their stares continued. 

Helena doesn't ignore much. She had said it herself. 

Her father's voice was low now, teetering on a growl, "Myka Ophelia Bering, what is that mark on your arm?"

It was supposed to be a question but it came out far more like an accusation to all in hearing range. 

Myka quickly set the glass back onto the table and scrambled for the discarded cardigan, "I slipped." She explained but even as the words left her mouth she knew what it sounds like. "No really, I did! The bathroom floor was wet and I-"

"Son, you will leave this table at once." Warren's voice terrified even Myka it reminded her of the time she had told him that she hated the bookstore, that it had been the source of everything horrible in her life. Warren had not taken that accusation lightly and he was not taking the current situation any better. 

"Sir...she slipped, I caught her." James tried to explain, he tried to say anything that might change their assumptions but he could think of nothing but the facts. 

Myka's eyes were pleading, hoping that James would find a way to use his charm to get them out of this mess but his silence and searching eyes did not give her hope. Looking now to Helena, Myka was surprised to see such grave concern. She had expected anger, matching that of her father's. She had expected Helena to be gripping her steak knife but instead, her eyes were wide and she could swear that there were tears brimming. 

Not a second longer and Helena was no longer there, her chair was pushed back and Myka's focus tried hard to find her in the sea of tables and waiters crammed in the restaurant. Quickly she turned to James, her eyes pleading with him. Praying for a sign to go after her. James' gave her a small nod and it was all she needed to scramble to the back of the restaurant toward the bathrooms. 

Helena was not there. The stalls were empty so Myka's erratically existed, her eyes wildly roam looking for signs of another escape. Finally, she noticed a slight breeze coming from a hallway around the corner and she followed it unabandoned. The alley. 

Cautiously Myka pushed the door open, not sure of what she would find. It was colder than it had been and she was thankful to have brought her sweater with her. There was a loud bang to her right, towards the end of the alley followed by the scuffling of loose rocks. Myka followed it, hoping. 

There was another loud bang and Myka could see Helena shoving at the side of a dumpster, both hands throwing deathly blows at the undisturbed structure. 

"Helena..." Myka's voice quivered, it's not fear but she's not sure what it is. 

Helena did not respond, she seemed to wipe her hand against the dress pants she was wearing and then use the crook of her elbow to wipe at her face.

"Helena, it's not what it looks like." Myka begged. 

"I can understand a lot of things, Myka. You know I can, you've read my books. I can understand things that others cannot even fathom but this. This baffles me." Myka can see the stream of tears that mark Helena's face, the ones she's trying too hard to wipe away. 

"I cannot understand how you can be with someone who does not know your value, does not see your worth. How can you not know it? How can you not see that your mere existence is enough to grant humanity forgiveness for all its wrongdoings?!" 

Myka wasn't sure what to say, she wasn't ready for this. 

"I would have ended it all, I wanted to. I wanted this horrible place to be gone. It deserved it. But you. You, my gods, Myka, you were the only thing I could not bear to erase." Helena's voice broke into sobs and Myka attempted to step closer to her. 

"NO! Don't. Do not touch me after I have seen how you allow someone else to touch you. To hurt you. I want to shake you, Myka, and I'm not sure I can stop myself." 

Myka stopped, stilled, she attempted to speak but words evaded her. 

"You can love someone else. I know that I believe you just might but I cannot fathom how you could allow for someone to degrade you so. For him to leave such a violent mark on your body. Your wonderful, beautiful, selfless being." Helena leaned her back against the brick wall, bending her knees to help hold her weight upright. "I cannot promise you that I will not harm him if that is what you have come to ask of me," Helena remarked as she brought her hands to her face.

Myka took a moment, considering her options, and finally moved closer to Helena.

"You won't shake me and you won't hurt him, Helena."

Helena raised her head to see Myka standing before her.

"You won't do any of that because he did not hurt me." 

Helena opened her mouth to argue but is stopped by a warning look from Myka.

"I was so worried about how tonight would go, how I could look you in the face tonight that I idiotically lost my footing and slipped. James was there to save me from potentially bashing my head into the bathtub. I was so horribly upset about things between us that I couldn't even move without threatening my own life."

Helena did not attempt to respond, she merely stared at Myka attempting to make sense of it all. 

"I had a plan, a plan to save my father's first love that damn bookstore. I had a plan to make everything right and it has all blown up in my face because I am too much of coward, to tell the truth." 

Helena's face turned to curiosity. 

"James and I are not together, it was a last minute strategic move to convince Warren to let me stay. I hurt Pete when I made it happen and I'm hurting you now. When you first showed up I thought it was perfect. I thought you'd be jealous and I thought you'd hate him but you were kind and charming. Everyone loved you. I was so mad. I admit it, Helena. I wanted it to hurt. I wanted you to hurt because that's all I could feel when I would read your emails. It hurt too much."

"And when did it start hurting you?" Helena asked, her voice soft and inquisitive. 

Myka looked down at her hands, the scabs having mostly healed after a great deal of ointment and bandages. "Pete reminded me of a person I used to be. A person who knew what they wanted, said what they wanted. I think I lost that person when you chose to leave or leave and never come back. I didn't tell you I wanted you home, I let you stay in Boone and I never told you to come home when you left Giselle. I never said a thing."

"So when James and I began planning your trip and when Pete and Claudia came to visit?" Helena asked, pushing herself off of the wall and toward Myka's pensive body. 

"I couldn't take it. I couldn't take anyone else making decisions for me. Especially not you. You've already made so many and I don't think I can survive another." Myka raised her hands to cover her face and was surprised to feel the rush of warm tears against her cold palms. She began to breathe deeply and erratically, sucking in air as quickly as possible and was only calmed by the warmth of Helena's body wrapped around her. 

Myka didn't know how long they stood there like that. Her gasping for air and Helena holding her, cradling Myka's head into her neck. 

"I'm afraid we've become poison to one another." Helena finally said, still holding Myka and tucking fallen hairs behind her ear. 

"I think I'm just afraid." Myka whispered. 

"I wish I could say I didn't know why." Helena responded, now rubbing Myka's back.

"But you don't." Myka responded, lifting her head from Helena's shoulder. "You don't." 

Helena said nothing for a long time as she stared into Myka's eyes. 

"Please forgive me for this." Helena said as she leaned into Myka and pressed firm, needy lips against Myka's.


	17. An Acceptance of Responsibility

Helena's movements were urgent as she pressed her body against Myka's. Helena's hands ran from Myka's back to her neck and into her hair as she kisses her, attempting to translate all of her pent up feelings into a single message. 

At first, Myka couldn't believe it; as if Helena was kissing someone else and she was just an onlooker. When she came back to herself, back to her, she kisses Helena hard, pleading for so much. Myka wrapped her arms tighter around her, trying to ground herself. Helena's groaned as she felt herself become in need of oxygen. Breaking the kiss, she did not pull away. They both sucked in large, deep breaths with their eyes locked on one another. 

"When you said 'you can love someone else'..." Myka panted, "did you mean..."

"For god's sake, Myka," Helena replied, pressing her lips against Myka's once more. This time, however, it's sweet, slow, and soft. Helena's lower lip maps out the rise and fall of Myka's mouth, savoring its tenderness. The action took Myka's breath away and soon they must part before one loses complete control over their own legs. Helena braced herself on Myka's arm and she hissed in pain as Helena's hand finds purchase on her bruised bicep.

"You swear to me, Myka, this was not intentional?" Helena asked, now lightly skimming her fingertips across the sleeve-covered spot. 

"Yes, Helena. I do." Myka admonished, watching Helena's fingers dance across her arm. 

Helena glides her hand up Myka's arm and onto her shoulder where she began to pull at the offending sweater. Myka assisted and slid it off, allowing Helena to inspect it closer. 

"I'm really-" Myka had begun to reassure her but gentle graze of Helena's lips to her bruised skin ceased her efforts. Helena's lips lingered there, seemingly attempting to heal it with her warm breath and gentle brushes of her lips. 

"I could watch you do that all day," Myka said, gaining some of her confidence back. 

"I'm inclined to allow you the privilege." Helena quipped as she pulls Myka's sweater back up her arm. 

"I wanted to tell you, I was going to tell you." Myka offered, "The night of the opening but then-"

"Then you made a right ass of yourself with... Kurt?" Helena's voice accentuated the "t" in his name causing Myka to laugh. 

"Yes, yes I did. I'm sorry." Myka admitted, pressing a small kiss to Helena's temple. 

It felt so natural to Myka to hold Helena this way, to kiss her as she liked.

"Once more, darling" Helena whispered and Myka moved forward once more and pressed her lips against Helena's temple this time slower. 

They exhale in unison, "Another hundred of those and I might just forgive you." Helena offered with a coy smile.

"I think we owe each other at least that." Myka huffed in return.

It was meant to be a funny quip but she can tell by seriousness in Helena's face that it may have been more.

"Myka..."

"Not right now, let's just have this. Just this is enough right now." Myka said quietly as she nestles her face into Helena's hair.

———————————————————

They had stood there holding each other in the alley for only a minute more before James had found them. He explained that Warren and Jeannie had left and would be waiting for her at home. 

It wasn't as easy parting but it was a necessary one. Helena had offered her a kind smile before she headed home.

"Are you going to be alright tonight?" James asked seeing the worry now evident on Myka's face. 

"I don't think I have any other option do you?" Myka asked wrapping the cardigan tighter around her. It had gotten colder and she could almost see her breath. "How did they seem?"

"Hellbent on killing me." James joked but then thought better of it. "They'll be expecting an explanation. Not just the bruise but why you both took off."

"I know." There was nothing left to say but a goodnight before she headed off to face her fate.

The door to the bookstore was unlocked and a light upstairs flowed through the cracks of the door above.

With a heavy sigh, Myka began her ascent.  
———————————————————

"Thank heavens." Jeannie gasped as she opened to door to the living room.

Wrapped in Jeannie's arms, Myka could feel her father's glare upon her.

"Your mother and I have been worried about you." His voice was stern, absent of any such concern.

"I know, I'm sorry," Myka replied, sitting down on the couch across from her father's armchair.

"Is that it?" He pushed.

"No, obviously not." Myka retorted, growing aggravated by his inability to soften in times of need. "Where would you like me to start?"

"Seeing as how tonight took a rather disturbing turn, I believe that might be best."

Warren had never been one to mince words and right now his quips were anything but helpful.

"Fine. James did leave the mark on me but not because I am in some kind of abusive relationship as you all assumed. I'm not in any relationship actually." Myka's arms crossed out of habit, she'd had many stern talks with Warren and the instinctive need to protect herself had been gained early on.

"Because you left him?" Jeannie asked, taking a seat beside Myka on the sofa.

"Because there was never a relationship, to begin with. James is a friend, too good of a friend. I needed to give you a reason to let me stay and he was willing to play along." Myka avoided her mother's confused look. She hadn't even considered what Jeannie would make of it all.

"So you lied," Warren barked.

"Yes, I did."

"And you slipped."

"Also true," Myka conceded.

Warren sat quietly for a moment and then stood. "I'm going bed."

"Dad!" Myka pleaded, looking to her mother for some sort of guidance.

"I've heard enough tonight. I'm not sure I care to hear anything else. We'll continue this another time. Jeannie, let's go." He didn't wait for her, he had turned his back and set his course.

Myka's mother looks at her with compassion and concern before leaving Myka by herself.

Myka's phone beeped as she reached for the lights. She hoped it would be Helena but she knew better than to assume.

James: How's it going?  
Myka: It's over.  
James: Already??  
Myka: It hardly even began.  
James: Oh.  
Myka: Yeah.  
James:  
Myka:  
James:  
Myka:  
James: So she knows.  
Myka: She knows.  
James: and you two are alright then?  
Myka: That remains to be seen.  
James: Sleep well.  
Myka: You too.

———————————————————

Myka didn't sleep at all. She had tossed and turned in her bed for hours before giving up and dawning her running shorts and a t-shirt.

The sun would be coming up soon and she thought it best to be mentally prepared for it.

She doubled her usual running path but was barely even winded by the time she passed the town B&B for the second time. She wondered if Helena was awake yet, if she had slept, if she would see her at all today. The anger in Warren's voice at the restaurant was enough to keep just about anyone away for a few days. Myka wished she had the option.

Running upstairs and into the shower, Myka soaked up the last bit of peace she knew she would be allowed.

Warren was up and about when she exited the bathroom. She could hear his dissatisfied grunts echoing down the hall. Deciding to ready herself quickly, Myka joined him at the kitchen table.

"I know I've made a mess, dad, and I understand if you are disappointed in me. It wouldn't be the first time I've let you down." Myka voice was full of faux confidence which she hoped she could sustain.

"You loathed the bookstore," Warren noted, setting down the morning paper to look Myka in the eyes. "You blamed it for everything."

"That was a long time ago. Things have changed. I know how important it is to you." Myka spread her hands out on the table in front of her, "I wanted to save you from one more disappointment."

Warren's eyes squinted in thought as ge took a sip of his steaming coffee. "I've disappointed you as well. Perhaps even with my own disappointment. I raised two very headstrong girls and I'm quite proud of that. I know I don't tell you that enough."

Myka was thrown for a loop, she hadn't expected this. Not today, not ever.

"Don't tell your sister this but I always knew you'd be the one to make a name for yourself. Not Tracy, not even me and the bookstore. You. I haven't always been fair to you. I know I've pushed."

"Dad..."

"Let me finish" Warren warned, "I know I put a lot of pressure on you but I never thought you'd resort to deception to appease me. I could have killed that young man last night for putting his hands on my daughter. Lord knows that's why Helena excused herself so quickly. I made a fool of myself because my daughter would rather spin a lie than to be honest with her own father."

Myka knew she deserved this. Knew it was only part of what she expected to hear, he was showing her mercy.

"I'm not happy with you and I don't trust you. I'm questioning everything I've thought I've known since you arrived and that's not something I often do. I believe you have a shop to run now."

He was sending her away and Myka wished she could be relieved by it.

———————————————————

"Do you want the good news or the bad news?" James asked, approaching the register with paper bags in his hands.

"I'm not sure I can handle any bad news right now," Myka admitted, moving her glasses onto her hair as she looked over the bags.

"Cool it, karma. The bakery is out of blueberry muffins." James informed her as he offered her a scone instead.

"And the good news?" Myka asked taking a lemon one from the bag.

"I'm being reassigned."

Myka nearly spat scone at him, "and how is that good news??"

"Well, it seems like the Regents think you have things under control here."

At this Myka scoffed, if there is one thing she does not have, it was control. over anything.

"It means they trust you. No more handsome babysitter." James added, taking a bite of a bagel he had produced.

Knowing that there was no point in arguing, Myka took another bite and asked "so when do you leave?"

"This afternoon. I'll need to say goodbye to your father before I go."

"Good luck with that," Myka replied washing down the last of her breakfast with some lukewarm coffee she had brought down with her.

"I'm sure I can handle it."

———————————————————  
James indeed took his leave and Myka helped him carry his bag downstairs. When she noticed the emblem on the car, she couldn't help but scoff "Really?"

"What?! She's got the hookup, besides the Regents are allowing me a short hiatus and I've decided to go see my mother." His earnest smile made it hard for Myka to be anything but happy for him.

"Will I hear from you again?" She asked, tossing his bag into the trunk of the car.

"Only if you make things worse. I'm actually hoping to never see your face ever again. You have an opportunity here to make things right."  
Myka knew he wasn't being completely truthful but she would afford him a look of hurt nonetheless. "Now come hug me before I lose all sense of decorum, I'm supposed to be good at goodbyes now."

Myka enveloped him in a tight hug as he placed one last kiss on the top of her head. "We're not supposed to get attached to our assets but Jesus, Myka, you made it nearly impossible."

She offered him a smile and held the door of the car open for him. "You're pretty impossible too."

———————————————————  
Business went on as usual or as usual as could be when people in the same house were not speaking to one another.

Myka had only seen Helena on occasion or rather Helena-shaped blurs between her closing the bookstore and Helena opening the speak-easy.

Myka soon realized that the tension was far more tiring to live with than the stress of keeping up with all of her lies. She never thought she'd look back and think how much easier it was then. There was always hope that they would all work it out but now she was left with the reality that she had failed. 

One Thursday night, there was a knock on her bedroom door. Myka thought it would be her mother checking on her once more as she had grown used to in the newly silent home. Grabbing a sweatshirt off the floor of her bed, Myka answered the door to a very tired looking Helena.

Sharing no words between them, Myka welcomed Helena inside and watched as she dramatically flung herself and the bed. Myka fought back laughter at the sight.

"I've just finished my last shift downstairs and if I weren't so tired, I'd celebrate."

Myka's face froze in fear. "You're leaving too."

"Oh heavens no, I've finally whipped our younger worker into tip top shape. I believe I can now presume the proper role of supervisor. Though I will miss your town's generous community." Helena raised an arm to cover her eyes from the ceiling light above. 

"They're only generous with you. They'll be heartbroken to realize you've abandoned them." Once again it's meant as a joke but the truth rings through regardless. 

Hoisting her weight onto her elbows, Helena eyed Myka, "As I abandoned the Warehouse. As I abandoned you."

Myka's not certain what to say and instead, she scratched at the back of her neck awkwardly.

"You've said as much already." Helena reminded her of their discussion on the alleyway.

"Abandoned is a little harsh, Helena," Myka said defensively, taking a seat at her desk. 

"How would you put it then?" Helena asked sitting upright in the edge of Myka's bed.

"I don't know. I haven't tried putting it into words, I guess. You just...never came back." Myka fiddled with some papers on the desktop. It was a sore subject and once again she was sorely prepared to conquer it now.

"When Claudia first told me of you and Peter, I laughed." 

Myka scowled in return. While it wasn't her best decision, she certainly didn't welcome Helena's criticism.

"I laughed because I thought she must be joking but when I heard the seriousness in her tone, I had no words at all. It occurred to me that I had found comfort in knowing there was still a place for me there in your life. It was incredibly selfish, I'm aware, I do hear myself."

Myka cocked a grin in response "I mean, I wouldn't expect anything less from your ego."

"But perhaps you should have expected more. You felt like a tether, no matter where I went I knew I could always count on your friendship to be there when I needed."

At the use of "friendship," Myka began to chew on her lower lip. 

"I took advantage of our bond. I allowed it to supply me with comfort as I ventured out in search of a fresh start."

Myka bobbed her head along with Helena's confession. It made sense, they had always written to one another. Regardless of how far Helena wandered.

"But when I heard of Peter, I realized we hadn't corresponded in some time. Giselle and I had been exploring Europe and I had allowed myself to enter into a false sense of security."

Myka uncontrollably flinched at Giselle's name. She knew Helena wouldn't undoubtedly notice.

"Yes, I'm afraid that's my fault as well. You may not know this about me but I'm rather miserable on my own."

"Oh, I can imagine it," Myka snarked. She knew of Helena's sorted past with numerous lovers. It didn't take a genius to realize why that might be.

"It's rather embarrassing really. A grown woman of my age incapable of living alone. I can't say I can remember a time when Charles or.. well someone was not close by. The woman who can invent a time machine but cannot survive solitude, it's preposterous. I'm no saint, Myka."

Myka doesn't mean to laugh but she does so anyway. Helena gives her a disgruntled look but it soon turns into a smirk.

"I've just said a great deal and there you are laughing at me," Helena chided.

"I don't think words have ever truly been your issue, Helena," Myka replied, gesturing to the stack of books on her desk.

"Bollocks, I suppose you are correct. It is possible my shortcomings center more on brevity."

Myka chuckled. 

"I am sorry."

At this, Myka's laughter silenced. She turned to face Helena more directly, now noting the sincerity in her eyes.

Seizing the moment, Helena moved to kneel before Myka, taking her hands into her own. "I am sorry I hurt you, I am sorry that I took our connection for granted."

Myka stared at Helena for quite some time before realizing that she has failed to respond in any manner whatsoever. She squeezed Helena's hands tight as tears seemed to appear out of thin air. 

"Darling..." is all it took for Myka to devolve into the weeping mess she was when they first left Helena in Boone. Helena recognized the look, remembered the pain and she took Myka's hands and guided her to lie down on the bed.

Helena laid down beside her both turned toward one another. "I won't ask you for forgiveness as I do not believe such a thing could ever excuse my behavior." She wiped away the tears tracks that run along Myka's face, "but I would like the opportunity to show my gratitude for your presence in my life."

Through tears and unwanted sobs, Myka managed to ask "are you trying to ask me out on a date?" She knew how she must look and a bolt of laughter shot through her. 

"I would like it very much if you would allow me to partake in your companionship in a far more civilized manner than bedspreads and alleyways," Helena admited.

Myka balked at Helena's summation of their meaningful interactions as of late but could not find a fault in her logic. "Europe made you uppity" Myka joked.

"Far from it, better to blame the 1800's."


	18. Straining without Breaking

Though Myka and Helena seemed to have found a common place to rest their grievances against one another, the opposite can and should be said of Warren's own aggravations. At first, Myka had thought that his sudden disappearance from her life had been intentionally productive, a time for them to both sort things out before reconvening, however, it seemed unlikely after not one but two weeks had passed. Warren had practically become a ghost in Myka's day-to-day dealings. The chill of his cold shoulder seemed to follow her from room to room as she hoped to catch sight of him. 

Myka's mother offered her apologetic glances across the breakfast table in the morning and commiserating grimaces at dinner time. Myka did not ask, she knew her mother would not say where it was he had gone. Slowly Myka began to alter her daily schedule, leaving work a few minutes early hoping to catch him in the process of the heading off to a further destination than her own. Regardless of the shifts, Myka was left chasing a cold trail. 

A few days after her talk with Helena, the key to James' apartment appeared on her desk. She offered it to Helena who had taken it hesitantly. 

"Are you quite certain you want me getting comfortable here?" Helena had asked, balancing the key on her knuckles. 

Myka had only nodded and that was that. 

Having completed every bit of handiwork imaginable downstairs, Helena had begun fielding requests for her assistance off-site from the local business owners. Myka had encouraged her to take the jobs, thinking it would buy her some time to resolve things with her father before beginning any more relational mending. Helena seemed to understand, asking few questions and giving a number of knowing nods and spend most of her mornings and afternoons away. She would leave word via text as to where she could be found. On especially defeating days searching for her an opportunity to confront Warren, Myka would present herself and a travel mug of English Breakfast to Helena as she took a small break from her hard labor. 

Some days Myka’s eyes would be sad, heavy and others she could catch Myka looking at her with a smirk. 

“Have I something on my face?” Helena would ask, wiping a hand across her cheek.

“Grease, everywhere.” Myka would respond. It was not necessarily a lie. 

As time pass, it was obvious that the tension between Myka and Warren was only continuing to wear on her, she was becoming notably on edge. Helena did her best to encourage her to be optimistic about her father's affections towards her but they often fell on deaf ears. Myka knew she must be insufferable to deal with and she slowly minimized her deliveries. 

Tonight it is apparent that Helena had retired early and was missing Myka's company.

H: Jeffrey speaks quite affectionately of you.

Myka smiled, welcoming the disturbance from her blank stares at a budget sheet. 

M: He is an old man. Good, but old. We tend to remember things as being better than they were:)

H: Are you, Myka Bering, bringing up age as a detriment?

Myka laughed, Helena had a point there.

H: If I did not know any better, I could be convinced that it was he who fathered you. 

Myka had spent many days alongside Jeffrey, he had worked at the intermediate school as the librarian for over forty years. He had grown to know her and her family well over the years, picking up on small things as Myka spent more and more time in the aisles of the small library. She would often stop to see him on her breaks from university to see how he was doing. Myka would leave with his company no less than five books wrapped in parchment paper from his own personal library in his home.

M: Believable. 

H: The printing press is nearly finished, any recommendations?

M: Velveteen Rabbit. 

H: I do not believe I have had the fortune of meeting said mammal. 

M: Ask, he will give you a copy. 

H: And you? Might you have one to lend?

There was a pause on the conversation. Helena watched the small speech bubble appear and dissipate numerous times before it disappeared entirely. 

With a huff, Helena began picking up the small mess she had made upon her tiresome arrival back to the apartment. Just as she was reaching to turn off a lamp when her phone sprung to live once more. 

M: Warren used it for kindling. 

H: Heavens. Our Warren?

M: The irony is lethal.

Helena decided not to pry, noticing a certain lack of openness on Myka's end of things but she couldn't keep herself from worrying nonetheless. 

H: Myka, I've been meaning to ask...

M: Still no word from him. No sight of him. 

Helena had assumed as much. There were few reasons for Myka to be short with her these days...at least that which was already out in the open. 

M: It might be for the best. 

At this Helena furrows a brow. She recalled some discord in Myka's early relationship with her father but after not sensing it in their more recent interactions, Helena had written it off as teen angst. Perhaps she was wrong? 

H: It feels rather foolish to have this conversation this way. 

H: Myka?

Another lull struck.. 

Myka stared at the words on her screen. She's right. They were two grown adults texting each other from different ends of the same street. 

M: I know. 

H: Might I convince you to join me for a walk?

H: Only if you would like, that is. 

Myka thought for a moment. If she packed up camp now and headed to bed, she may just be able to catch Warren once and for all. However, a moonlit walk with Helena was a tempting offer. If the conversation could be kept light, it might just be the reprieve she needed. That, however, was incredibly unlikely. Between herself and the history she held with Helena, little of it was ever light.

H: You've decided against it, I believe. 

M: Another time? 

H: As you wish. 

H: Perhaps I might have your permission to steal you away for lunch tomorrow? 

Myka laughed at Helena's honorable persistence. 

M: Lunch it is.

M: Where can I find you at such a time?

H: I'll find you. 

H: Sweetest dreams, darling. 

M: Goodnight, Helena. 

That night Myka went to sleep dreaming of Velveteen Rabbits and the posh British lips mouthing the word "darling" over and over again. 

———————————————————

In the morning Myka made an agreement with herself. With her bare feet on the cold, unforgiving wood floor of her bedroom, she decided she would stop trying. If Warren didn't want to be found, she would stop looking. No one ever got what they wanted chasing after a person on the run. 

With a foreign lightness to her step, Myka showered and readied herself for the day. She did not stop to look for discarded newspapers or coffee mugs in the sink, rather she glided through the kitchen and down to the shop in record time.

The front door never seemed to stay closed for long meaning Myka never truly did have a second to catch her breath between customers. Not that she was complaining. Everyone seemed to be quite happy themselves and Myka reveled in the ease of their interactions.

Sometime later, the new sales clerk made an entrance alerting Myka to the quickly passing time. She greeted him with a smile. Warren had hired him, her mother had informed her a few days ago. Apparently, he owed the boy's family a favor but that was just fine with Myka as Kevin was a quick learner and a mostly quiet companion. 

Having been held captive by ordering sheets and inventory lists, Myka had nearly forgotten how much had truly changed in the shop. How alive and joyous the place could be for all who entered it. 

A subtle throat clearing dragged Myka from her musings into the present. She had noticed Helena's sudden appearance which, now looking at the woman's full hands, seems quite hard to believe. 

"Have you come prepared to feed the entire town?" Myka chided, motioning towards the two large wicker baskets Helena now seemed to be struggling with.

"Har har, would you?" Helena asked, one-handedly offering a basket to Myka. 

"Dear God, what do you have in here?" Myka shrieked, nearly dropping the basket. Now gripped in two hands, Myka inspected its size and admirable strength.

"There's only one way to solve a mystery..." Helena offered in return as she headed out the front door.

With a grin and a shake of her head, Myka followed.

———————————————————

"You know this is where kids come to make out, right?" Myka asked following Helena into the small town park. At night the parking lot was guaranteed to have at least one suspiciously parked car in it.

Helena laughs, "Well if that's where your mind is at then I had need not bothered with a picnic at all!"

Just then Myka's stomach growled louder than either woman could believe. Myka's free arm wrapped itself around her, hoping to somehow muffle the embarrassing noise as her face began to flush red.

"On second thought..." Helena added as she seemed to have found an adequate place to set up lunch. 

From her own basket, Helena pulled a large blanket, two thermoses, and some silverware. She gave an authoritative nod to Myka to unpack the basket in her possession. 

A plethora of sandwiches, salads, soups, and bread was spread across the blanket soon enough and for the second time that day Myka welcomed the overwhelming relief she felt. 

She and Helena seemed to have found a comfortable place for their relationship to live for the time being. A cozy home down the road from close friends and not quite to domestic bliss. They smiled and laughed and ate. Helena shamelessly flirted and teased Myka like old times but now Myka could take a little more and even taunt back in return. 

The conversation flowed easily, jokes and observations of little substance. Neither seemed to want to talk about Warren, neither wanted to bring that weight back upon their shoulders. And it is both. As much as Myka wished to repair things with her father, Helena felt some responsibility in making that happen...in feeling that her presence in their lives only made the lies worse. But for now, all of that was lost to the way that Helena's hair fell like water off a cliff and Myka's laugh was wonderfully featherlike. 

Helena had just finished feigning ignorance to Myka's critique of her ego when both were startled by a soccer ball bounding its way toward them along with shouts of "HEADS UP!" quickly following after. 

Helena's skilled hands caught the ball on a bounce, saving herself and the open thermostat of tomato soup. She gave Myka a proud wink and traced its trajectory. 

"That's my bad, I'm sorry!" A woman in a baseball hat called out as she approaches. 

Helena waved off the apology and threw the ball towards the woman's feet. Rather than taking her property and leaving, however, the stranger offered a small show of proper ball handling as she bounced the soccer ball from knee to knee and inevitably atop her head.

"Well done!" Helena commented and she applauded. 

As entertaining as the woman's skills had been, Myka's attention was elsewhere. Squinting to make out the shapes of the face altered by the shade of her hats visor, something struck Myka oddly.

"Again, I'm sorry. My son just started soccer and I may have accidentally set him up for failure." The woman offered, dragging her forearm across her now glistening forehead. 

"It's a fine sport, certainly more admirable than most. I'm certain he'll hone his skills with some hard work!" Helena replied, looking past the woman to see a very chubby, very sweaty awkward looking child sitting in the grass mindlessly plucking dandelions. "Helena." She added, offering her hand to the woman.

"Rose." Greeted the woman.

And then it clicked. Myka's eyes shot to Helena's hand clasped in Rose's and for a second it felt as if her life was folding in on itself.

"And I'm sure you know..." Helena turned to Myka only to be greater with a pale face and slightly terrified eyes. "Darling, are you quite alright?"

"MYKA BERING. Holy shit." Rose exclaimed, dropping the soccer ball to her feet. 

Myka attempted to tame her face and offered up a weak smile.

"Shit, I heard you were back but..." Rose seemed to be struggling to find the proper ending for that which bought Myka a few more seconds to put together a greeting.

"Yeah, just uh... helping out a bit. It's good to see you, Rose." Myka's voice was nearly genuine as she stole a look at Helena who was curiously sizing up every single detail of this interaction. 

"Yeah, yeah, you too Bering. I didn't expect to see you, I guess. I've got my hands full and...uh." Rose took a quick look over her shoulder to see that her son is in fact still there.

"Yeah, a son. Wow. That's...that's great."

"Well, sons." Rose corrected, wrapping her arms around herself protectively. 

"OH. Wow. That's wow." 

"And just how old are your delightful wow-ing sons?" Helena inquired, avoiding Myka's glare.

"Grayson is 14 and that one is Luke and he is 10." Rose waved to the boy and he offered a lethargic raises hand in return. "I know what you are thinking, he's going to be a professional athlete some day." 

Helena laughed and offered an encouraging look to Myka to do the same. Myka did as instructed. 

"You never know," Myka admitted, shrugging her shoulders a bit.

"That's pretty easy coming from the person with the most fencing records at our high school." Rose seemed to note a look of surprise on Helena's face and acted on it. "She hasn't told you? Well, let me be the one to tell you that your friend here is a state legend when it comes to snobby sports."

Helena laughed and gave a quick squint of her eyes to Myka. Myka knew she's quickly connecting the dots.

"You know if you two are free tonight, I've actually got a babysitter. Could we do dinner maybe? It's been a minute, you know?" Rose's confidence seemed to take a dive through her invitation.

"As much as I'd love to, and please know I would, I promised to work the bar tonight. Covering for a bartender with a first date, I'm afraid." Myka couldn't decide if Helena was making it up or not. She hadn't asked Helena about her plans outside of their lunch.

"Well, Bering what do you say?" Rose stuffed her hands into the pockets of her joggers nervously.

"Okay, yeah. Sure, why not." Myka offered her a mostly genuine smile and quickly tried to end this public dialogue for the time being. "Same number?"

———————————————————

"Are you always so stiff when it comes to your ex-lovers?" Helena asked as they left the park, partially empty picnic baskets in hand.

"Ex-lover?" Myka gawked in return.

"Well unless there is something you need to tell me about your present arrangement..." Helena replied with teasing pout.

"Helena, we never. We aren't. We aren't. Weren't." Myka's stumbling was obvious even to herself.

"Though you argue nothingness, I just witnessed something indeed." Helena didn't turn to see Myka's reaction, she simply kept her eyes on the route before her.

"Friends. We were just friends." Myka finally managed to form the words.

"In high school," Helena added.

"In high school," Myka confirmed.

"Alright, love. Let's get you back to your beloved bookstore." Helena placed a supportive hand at the bottom of Myka's spine and unnecessarily guides her through the numerous minivans that now occupy the place. 

At first, Myka stiffened at the touch but relaxes when she realizes that Helena knew she could navigate a simple parking lot and was using it as an excuse.  
"Do you really want to work tonight?"

Helena turned to her with a coy smile, "Well, I certainly do now."

———————————————————

Helana placed a chaste kiss on Myka's cheek before heading back to work. The new employee seemed to have his hands fairly full and Myka leaped back into the wildness that was the customer service. 

Myka's only reminder of the passing time was the setting sun and the muttered "good evening" from others as they left. Looking around the shop, it seemed that everything was under control so she decided to take a rest in her office. Finding her phone, she scrolls through the contact list.

M: So dinner?

R: If you are really up for it. 

Myka took a deep breath, as awkward as this all could be... she felt like she at least owed Rose this. 

M: Alright, let's do it. 7?

Glancing at the clock in the office, Myka realized that only gives her another hour to finish up her to-do list. 

M: Mind meeting me at the shop? I have a few orders to place before I can call it a day.

R: Will that be okay?

M: Totally, I'll flip the sign but leave the door unlocked.

R: 7PM. See you then. 

Myka threw her phone onto her desk, opened up yet another spreadsheet, and was once again lost to the world. 

"Your mother wants me to tell you that you've done a good job with the shop. That I am thankful for your help." Perhaps it's the surprise of the company or the intense concentration but Warren's voice sounded almost foreign to Myka. Her hands still over the keyboard, "and you? What do you want to say?" Finally looking up to see her father's figure in the doorway, she can see the struggle in his eyes. 

"If we're talking shop then I'd say those words are fitting." He crossed his arms over his chest but made no other movements to signal the length of his visit. 

"Alright, well thank you. I appreciate that." Myka replied tensely. She took a deep breath and decided to break the ice once and for all, "I know you're mad, I lied to you and I get it. I didn't want to hurt your or mom. It was never about that. I just wanted to help." 

Warren's face was a wash of contemplation, self-restraint, and stubbornness. Finally, however, he unfolded his arms and tucked his fingers into the tops of his pants pockets. "Myka, I'm still trying to work that all out-" 

Before Warren could complete his thought, however, the clang of the front bell rings out and he checks his watch for the time. "We're closed!" He bellowed but footsteps come closer still. 

"Hi, sorry I'm late!" Rose called out making her way through the shelves of books but as she gained sight of the doorway to the back office she stopped in place. "Mr. Bering." It's a near whisper.

Warren turned to look at the visitor and immediately whatever walls he had begun to tear down were built up higher and stronger, "YOU" his voice seemed to bark the word as an insult. 

"Dad." Myka pleaded but Warren was already stepping closer to Rose.

"I told you I never wanted to see you in my shop ever again." Warren reminded her, his tone strained and threatening. 

"Mr. Bering I had no idea, I'm-" As Rose stumbled on her own words, she made small backward steps towards the exit. 

"WARREN," Myka yelled, registering the obvious fear on Rose's face. "I invited her. If you are going to bite someone's head off then it should be mine." 

Warren didn't take his eyes off of Rose, "If you are dumb enough to bring her here, you haven't got a head." His fists clenched at his sides as he heard Myka's footsteps behind him.

Sidestepping Warren in the aisle, Myka gave a comforting look to Rose, "We're leaving." 

Warren grabbed Myka's wrist and she's jetted back to him, "If you think I'm going to let you leave here with her, you truly have lost your mind."

Without missing a beat, Myka twisted her arms out of Warren's grasp, "Don't start leaving marks now, Warren."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your feedback, I'm really working on improving my writing. Thanks so much for reading! -Posh


	19. Resolution of Time

Rose was out of the shop and halfway down the block before Myka's head could truly catch up with her feet, "Rose, I am so sorry. I didn't know he'd be there. I haven't seen him in weeks!" 

Rose's pace slowed and she turned to Myka in a light huff, "I guess some things never do change." 

"I swear I didn't know he was going to be there. I wouldn't have asked you to stop by." Myka was running her fingers through her hair erratically trying to figure out what to even do next. 

Rose stood straight, stretched out her back and rolled her shoulders a few times before speaking, "You know, we can't fix the past but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the future..." 

Myka laughed. She doesn't mean to. She certainly doesn't mean to laugh as loudly as she currently is and yet... she is. 

Rose gives her a mildly offended look in return and Myka offers her an apologetic smile in return, "If you had any idea how ironic that sentence just was..." 

"Why don't you tell me over dinner? Still have an appetite?" Rose's smile was just as Myka remembered it, confident and mischevious as ever. 

"Alright, yeah, let's do it." 

———————————————————

They settle for burger place on the edge of the town. When they were in high school, it was the place to go where parents wouldn't show up and the kids could have a little more fun than they were used to. 

"I don't know why but it feels like today has been one long historical tour of our old haunts." Rose laughed, scooting into the booth in the back corner of the restaurant. 

"It does feel that way, doesn't it." Myka nodded in agreement, awkwardly moving her body against the cheap vinyl bench. Finally getting settled she looked up and for a second she could almost picture Rose in high school, her hair a bit shorter than it was now, her clothes a tad more ragged. "About that...I owe you an apology."

At this Rose looked up from the menu she'd been needlessly purveying, eyebrows raised, "What?"

"I owe you an apology for... well... being kind of an asshole back then. A coward and an asshole. A coward an asshole and a-"

"I think you can probably just stop there," Rose interjected, pushing some hair out of her eyes to better see the growing blush up Myka's cheeks. 

"I really did like you, I think you know that," Myka admited, bowing her head just a bit.

"You know, I didn't but that's good to hear." 

Myka's head shot up, "You're kidding." 

Rose only shrugged in return. 

"You're telling me that you had no idea that I was hopelessly in love with you?" Any guilt that Myka may have been feeling faded into complete disbelief.

"I asked, remember? I asked if you had feelings for me. Do you remember what you said?" 

Myka thought for a moment, she remembered the night she wished she could forget it, "I said I would if-"

"if I were a boy." Rose finished, the look on her face mimiced a fraction of the hurt that the statement had likely initially caused.

"God. That's awful." Myka cried, laying her forehead on the table. "You must have hated me." 

Rose laughed, the entire thing feeling rather unrealistic. "'hate' is pretty strong, I'd say I was pretty mad at you for a while. If I'm being honest, I was more heartbroken than anything. One day we were incredibly close and they next... well... you stopped talking to me." 

Myka rolled her head to the side to see the kind smile spreading across Rose's face, "See, I was a total asshole. God..." 

Squinting her eyes at Myka for a second, Rose adjusted her posture and sat up tall "So you were like 'hopelessly in love' with me?" 

Myka groaned but it soon transformed into a hearty chuckle, "Yep, like a sad little puppy." 

"Not incredibly different than how you look now then, huh?" 

The joke jars Myka out of her self-pity and she sits up with a faux offended look upon her face. 

"Oh don't you even, you broke my heart." It's meant jokingly but it still bothers Myka to know. 

"So you... you liked me too?" Myka finally realizes.

"Completely," Rose replied with a coy smile. Myka's face falls into a frown. "Hey, it's okay. It all ended up as it was supposed to!" 

Myka appreciated Roses's optimism and gave her a thankful smile, "So two kids, huh?" 

Rose sighed exhaustedly, "It makes me sound so old when you say it. I love them, they are my whole heart." She showed Myka the background photo of the two boys, lying in the grass looking up at the camera. "That was probably the only good photo they took that day. " 

Myka leaned forward to look at the happy boys and then to Rose's bright smile. The rest of Myka's guilt subsided when she saw how genuine Rose's love was when she spoke about her sons. 

"Maybe this isn't my place to ask but... is there a dad? Actually, you know what, that is none of my business at all. I take it back." Myka slunk back down into the booth and picked up a menu from the table. "God aren't they going to take our order?!"

Rose leaned forward and placed her hands on top of Myka's which were turning white from her tight grip on the menu. "They have a dad and it's okay if you are curious." 

Myka felt guilty once again, here she was prying into a woman's life she has no right or any claim to. "You don't have to-" she pulls away from Rose's touch and looks around the restaurant for a waiter. Anyone. 

Shortly after a high school age-looking boy came to their table and took their order. He brings them water and they both sit in silence until he has disappeared once more. 

"I know but it's okay. We dated for a while, he was actually kind of a huge asshole. I left him just after Luke was born and we've all been much happier since." 

When Myka looked back to Rose she could tell it was the truth, with a slight grimace she says, "I'm glad that you're happy now. They are beautiful boys. They are lucky to have such an amazing mom." 

Rose's eyebrows twitched just for a second before she leaned over the table and whispered across, "Is your mom alright? I know your dad's demeanor seems to have stood the test of time but..." 

Myka smirked just a bit, before answering, "She's fine. Same as always. Loving, detached, supportive, she tries. In the end, it's Warren who really makes the decisions for them." She took a moment deciding how honest to be right now. "He was a lot better when I first got here. I'm sorry you had to see him that way." 

Rose looked at her curiously, "What changed?" 

"I lied. I lied and plotted and then I lied to cover up a different lie." She could tell by the way that Rose was looking at her that she didn't quite understand. "I knew Warren wouldn't let me stay and help with the shop if it could interfere with my relationship so I did a bit of lying and there was a fake relationship and... well he found out. And then he saw you." 

Rose paused for a second to wrap her head around it all. With slightly crinkled eyebrows, her confusion was obvious. "So you were in a fake relationship with the woman from the park? Helena?" 

At this Myka laughs. "Oh god. That would have been so much worse." 

Rose's confusion only seemed to grow. 

"I was in a fake relationship with a realtor named James. My father loved him. He loved the idea of us. I guess I should have picked a worse guy?" Myka couldn't believe she was making jokes about it all now. 

"Didn't he think it was weird that you were with a man?" Rose finally asked, seeming to be relieved by the simple task of asking the obvious question. 

Myka suddenly cursed her timing and nearly spat water across the table, "What?" 

"Myka, we were best friends. Don't you think I knew that my best friend liked women?" 

"Uh, wait. What? You DID know?! You knew and you didn't think I was into you??" Myka quickly lowered her voice, knowing that she was starting to draw attention to their table. 

"Why do you think it hurt so much to have you lie to me? 'If you were a boy' God, I was furious with that answer." Rose paused once more to cool herself down with a drink from her water glass while Myka tried to find the right way to reply.

"Listen, I had no clue you knew. I actually kind of thought you'd hate me if you knew. I was scared of losing our friendship." Tears began collecting in the corners of Myka's eyes as she tried to remember how it all felt. "After that night when you asked... I wrote you a note. I told you everything. I tucked it in between some pages of the book you gave me and I was going to give it back to you. Let you decide if you still wanted to be my friend." 

"I never got it. I never got a letter from you, Myka." There was a sense of urgency in her tone but it had to wait as their food came and both were tasked with thanking the server and assuring him that they are in need of absolutely nothing else.

After a minute or two of silent picking at her burger, Myka finally picked the conversation back up. "Well, you couldn't have gotten it. Warren found the letter and the book. He read it. Saw that you had drawn a heart next to my name inside the book and just assumed." 

"So he..."

"Well in a completely rational adult way he set all of it on fire in a trashcan behind the shop. He didn't say a lot. He didn't really have to. I got it." Myka emphasized that last word with an over exaggerated bite into her burger. 

Rose looked at her speechlessly as Myka continued to eat. 

Finally, the audience became too much. "I should have told you. I should have told you anything instead of just disappearing on you like I did. It was mean." 

"I can't believe you feel sorry for me after you had to deal with that. I mean I knew Warren could be cruel to you sometimes but I didn't realize... I never even thought that it was because..." Rose sat back in the booth with a hand pressed over her mouth quiet once more. 

"We make quite the pair, you and me. You thought I was some die-hard lesbian with picky taste and I thought you were some homophobic friend who was on the witch hunt." Myka couldn't help but laugh at her own words. It was ridiculous. "Wait, why did YOU think Warren didn't want you at the shop all these years?"

"I guess I just thought it was because of my dad. He was in and out of prison a lot back then and there weren't a lot of people who really liked him. I figured he must have done something to anger your dad. When he first told me I was mad but then you stopped talking to me and I guess it all just made some kind of weird sense in my mind." 

Myka offered her an apologetic smile and a laugh, "Some pair." 

"So that woman then. Don't think I've forgotten about her." Rose taunted between her chewing of french fries. 

"I don't think there's enough time in the world to fill you in on that." 

———————————————————

When Myka and Rose parted ways for the evening, it's much later than either of them had expected. Myka drove Rose home and declined an invitation for a nightcap. She knew Helena was probably wondering about her whereabouts right about now and probably she probably owed her an explanation. They hugged and Rose promised to keep Myka updated on the boy's soccer matches and baseball games. 

Myka was a smiling fool as she drove home. It's amazed her how much clarity came with the passing of time. How much time she and Rose wasted in an unnecessary limbo of hurt and uncertainty. Parking her car in the front of the shop, Myka made her way downstairs to find Helena. 

Sure enough, Helena was hard at work, flirting more than serving and enjoying every minute of it. She offered Myka a playful wink as she excused herself from her adoring audience. 

"You really can't help yourself, can you?" Myka teased, as Helena untied a small apron from around her waist and lead them towards the lift. 

"I'm certain many people would be disappointed if I could," Helena replied, bumping into Myka's hip with her own. 

"I can't even imagine." Myka grinned.

When they reached the main floor Myka realized that she and Helena had made no set plan for the evening. "Walk, sit, or sleep?" 

Helena's eyebrows raised and Myka knew that she was purposely misinterpreting the latter of the options. 

"My feet are actually quite a bit sore, perhaps a sit and maybe a cup of tea to fix me back up." 

Myka smiled and lead the way up the stairs towards their kitchen. Just as Myka turned the knob, however, she was met with unfamiliar resistance. "It's locked?" 

She fished out her keys from her pockets and tried to turn the lock but no luck. With a surprisingly cool tone, Myka turned to Helena, "I believe if this is to occur, we will need to relocate to yours." 

"Myka Bering, are you locked out?" Helena's tone was mostly kidding but when she did not see even a flicker of playfulness on Myka's face she began to worry. "You can't be serious. He's locked you out???" 

Heading down the stairs, Myka spoke over her shoulder to Helena, "Well if that surprises you, I think you're in for a real treat. We'll see." 

Sure enough, Myka lead Helena to the alleyway behind the shop and there were Myka's things. Boxes, suitcases, and some of her clothes still on the hangers were strewn across the ground. 

Myka nodded knowingly towards the mess as Helena gasped in horror. "Did you know?" 

"I suspected. This isn't the first time this has happened. Luckily he didn't burn anything this time." Myka replied, beginning to pick up some of her things. 

"I can not believe this. What kind of a father would throw his own daughter out on the street like this? It's absurd, it's absolutely vile." Helena manically began picking up some of Myka's shirts that have been thrown a little bit further than the rest. 

"It's Warren Bering getting his way." 

———————————————————

Helena and Myka managed most of the things into the discarded boxes and carried them down the street to Helena's apartment. 

"Well this isn't how I had hoped for us to move in together but it will have to do." Myka joked, breathlessly as she carried the boxes up the stairs.

"Myka Bering, you can not seriously be taking this so easily." Helena reprimanded attempting to hide her own windedness. 

"I assure you the first time this happened I was far more hysterical." 

Myka meant for it to ease Helena's worries but it seemed to have adverse effects. 

"You have most certainly got to be joking. Myka, this is preposterous." Helena dropped the boxes at the door to locate her keys. 

"Not a joke. Not new." With the door now unlocked and held open for her, Myka entered the apartment and dropped the boxes onto the sofa in the living room. "It is, however, getting old." 

"Myka, did something happen today? Something that would cause this?" Helena was picking up the box and setting it on the kitchen counter when she grew too irritated for patience. "Well? Myka?" 

Myka took a moment to collect herself and her thoughts, running her hand through her now unruly hair. "The first time this happened, I was in college a close friend visited me over the winter holiday. The next day she and I found some of my things were out in the snow and the rest were burning in a trash can not far from where all of this was." Myka gestured to the tattered boxes and flopped down onto the couch, covering her eyes with her forearm. 

"When you say 'close friend'..." Helena allowed herself this one moment of prying.

"Lover." 

"I see." Not expecting this to be the topic of discussion, Helena sat in the armchair not far from Myka's now dilapidated form. 

A deafening silence filled the room. Neither women moving or speaking until an exhausted huff expelled from Myka's lungs and she sat up looking to Helena, "How would you like to hear about what happened to the Velveteen Rabbit?" 

———————————————————

The following hours were filled with Myka's tale of her and Rose's would-be romance, Warren's anger, her affair with a friend at college and her eventual resignation from ever trying to find happiness with anyone other than a man. 

"So you opted for a married man? And then Pete??" Helena teased as she laid down beside Myka on her bed. 

"I don't want to hear anything from you about that, Mrs. Boone." Myka took the pillow from behind her head and gave Helena a strong swat on the stomach for that comment. 

Perhaps at any other hour, they would not be making light of these things but for now, in the light glow of the lamps and the simplicity of washed faces, brushed hair, and borrowed shirts it was a laughing matter. 

"Myka..." Helena wasn't sure where this leading but she felt the need to say it nonetheless.

"I know, Helena. I know. It's going to be okay." 

Helena's hand searched for Myka's and they stared at the ceiling as time slowly ticked by. 

Eventually, Myka turned off the lamp and Helena snuggled into her side, pressing her cold feet against Myka's warm legs. 

"Sweetest of dreams, love." Helena offered as she stretched to place a kiss at Myka's temple. 

"Sweet dreams," Myka replied, pressing a kiss into Helena's hair.


	20. Some Rest and Relaxation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Myka and Helena time. Myka enjoys herself;) 
> 
> Sorry for the lull, somehow I got locked out of Ao3???

In the morning, Helena found her bed companion had vanished. Stretching her body in the now cool sheets, she could hear the tale tell sign that a certain someone had not gone too far. Dragging her body out of bed and into the kitchen, Helena found Myka quietly cursing at a loudly whistling kettle. 

“I won’t have you insulting my main source of livelihood while you’re under my roof.” Helena joked as she wrapped her chilled arms around Myka’s warm waist from behind.

“Jesus! You’re freezing.” Myka replied, setting the kettle aside to runs her hands over Helena’s arms. 

“Well I thought I had the appropriate company to avoid such frigidity but, it seems I was wrong.” Helena laughed into Myka’s hair, maybe just maybe taking a small sniff of her shampoo for good measure. 

Myka turned herself in Helena’s hold until she was face to face with a very luminescent, unfairly gorgeous morning variety of one Helena G. Wells. 

“I was going to make a joke,” Myka said with a slight grin, taking in Helena’s slightly tired expression, “but I think I’ll just enjoy this instead.” She wrapped her arms around Helena’s neck and they stood there, in front of the stove, for what seemed like an eternity, neither one complaining. 

If Helena noticed the slight periodic tightening of Myka’s arms around her, she did not say so. The sounds of a sniffle just above her, however, alerted Helena to the passing of time and a change in the air. 

“Darling, are you quite alright?” Helena squeezed Myka just a bit tighter as she waited for her reply. 

Myka’s voice was heavy and watered down, “Yeah. Peachy.” She replied, releasing her hold to turn back to the kettle that had now likely cooled far too much to be any good. “Tea?”

“Please.” Was all Helena had time to reply before Myka had set the kettle back on the burner and walked out into the living room.

“I’ll work on moving these today.” She said arms folded across her chest, not lifting her eyes from her scattered belongings. 

“No worries, darling. I never was terribly good with interior design.” Helena paused for a moment wondering what it is that Myka needs right now. Human touch? Space? Her friends? “Have you plans for the day?” She asked instead. 

Breaking her blank stare, Myka eyed the worn wood floors beneath Helena’s feet. “I was supposed to work at the shop but… uh… yeah.” She brushes the fallen hair back away from her face and then looked to Helena. 

Once again Helena was filled with uncertainty. Sheto Myka with compassion as she searched for the words that would lighten Myka’s spirits once more. The piercing cry of the kettle interrupted her thoughts and she busied herself with preparing the tea. As she contemplated whether Myka took sugar, she heard the moving and thumping of boxes being moved and the sound of a chair being dragged back. 

As Helena turned, the sight of Myka Bering and her wild hair sitting at her dining room table was enough to stop time. How often had she wanted exactly this? How many times had she glanced to the person across the table from her and been disappointed not to see this sight? And yet there Myka was, in a borrowed shirt looking the most pitiful one possibly could.

Moving slowly, careful not to spill, Helena approached the small round dining table. “It is customary when one spends the night with another to see to their needs come the next morning, is it not?” The flirtation does not go unnoticed as Myka’s cheeks notably redden as Helena had hoped.

“You’ve clearly never heard of one night stands then.” Myka bantered back, a grin returning to her face. 

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Helena replied with a smirk, taking the seat next to Myka’s.

“Pete’s not here to gawk at your sexual history, Helena. Unless you’re trying to send me some kind message.” Myka had meant it as a joke but that fact that she had just been thrown out was leaning heavily on her sense of humor.

Helena seemed to pause at this. Deciding carefully what response would aptly starve away this growing chasm in Myka’s heart. “I think I’d have you every night if you let me.” For once, Helena’s words were far more sexual than she had intended and the two broke into laughter over Helena’s own embarrassment. 

“I have missed that laugh, you know,” Helena admitted while taking a sip of her tea.

Myka smiled in return. Helena would always be a charmer. “If I proposed…”

Helena’s notably raised eyebrows stopped Myka mid thought. 

“Let me finish. If I proposed that you and I put it all behind us. Put the hurt, put the betrayal, put it all somewhere away from us right now. Do you think we could do this?” 

Helena thought for a while, her pose stoic just before responding. “Myka, if you can forgive me for what I have done. How thoughtless and selfish I have been, it would be the greatest gift you could ever give me.” 

Myka didn’t miss the rising water line along Helena’s eyelids nor the watered down tone of her confession. It was enough to bring Myka to tears as well. 

“You’re not the only one, Helena. I’ve done things to hurt you too. Poorly and childish but you aren’t alone in this.” 

This brought a smile to Helena’s face as she considered the inequality of their sins. With a grin to her words Helena reached across the table to Myka, “Well I suppose I can forgive you for James but we’ll have to see about Peter.” 

Myka gawked at Helena’s quick turn from sincerity to jesting. “I am so not forgiving you for that.”

“Ah, and here I thought that Wells and Bering would have a blissfully new start.” 

“Bering and Wells and I think that’s a little too ideal for either of us.” 

———————————————————  
As promised, Myka set to work moving the boxes out of her and Helena’s way. 

“Is that really all of it?” Helena inquired, taking in the stack of boxes one of the closets.”

“Well, I don’t think he was picking a choosing what he would throw into the street if that’s what you’re asking” Myka huffed, stacking the last box on top. 

“I must admit, I’m still beside myself with all of this. I thought things between yourself and Warren were patched up after the whole…artifact incident. Wasn’t there a book of some sort?” Helena didn’t mean to draw this sort of thing out but she simply couldn’t wrap her head around a parent treating their daughter this way.

“It just goes to show that a book won’t solve everything. My mom said he had regrets about the way he raised me, hell even he said it then. I guess when your kid guards the president, it starts to make you feel bad about how you treated her.” 

“I can understand any regrets he may have but now? This?” Helena gestured to the pitiful collection of Myka’s belongings. 

“I guess when that daughter isn’t passionately pursuing marriage to a man, it changes things.” Closing the closet door, Myka led the way back into the living room where she tiredly flopped onto the couch.

“Even in my time, I found people’s judgment of others sexual activities to be absurd. To see that it has stood the test of time is yet another grave disappointment.” Helena gracefully sat next to Myka on the couch, reaching out a hand to place on Myka’s thigh. “For what it is worth, I believe I could write a book about the wonders of Myka Bering and never betray a single letter.” 

Turning to face Helena, Myka could see the absolute sincerity and seriousness of what Helena had just said. Sure Helena was plenty ego and talk about this, this seemed genuine. “And this is why it is unfair to date a writer.” Myka leaned into Helena, pressing her lips to the corner of her mouth. 

“Did you say ‘date'?” Helena asked after Myka had begun pulling away. 

“On second thought” Myka responded going back in for a more direct and heated kiss. A kiss that Helena was not about to let her worm her way out of. Helena’s hands reached out for contact with Myka’s body, finding strong arms which she pulled towards her. 

Feeling Helena’s insistent tugging, Myka allowed herself to practically be pulled onto Helena’s lap. Kissing Helena harder as she did. Myka could not believe how soft Helena’s hair was first thing in the morning. Helena would likely lose a hand if she were to attempt a similar mauling as Myka’s hands were doing. 

Instead, Helena’s hands were scratching patterns up and down Myka’s thighs which were now positioned on each side of Helena's waist and rather bare due to Helena’s shirt being a tad short for Myka’s body.

A low growl escaped Myka’s mouth as she felt Helena trail kisses down her neck. It seemed Helena was bound to find all of Myka’s sensitive spots in a single go and she wasn’t quite upset about it either. Myka soaked in each and every touch and kiss of Helena’s, their warmth wooing her to absolute jello. 

Noticing the effect she was having on Myka, Helena rather slowly pulled away from Myka’s neck just enough. “I do believe I heard you say the word ‘date,’ Myka.” 

Still floating in a haze of Helena’s fingertips and lips, Myka struggled to make sense of Helena’s words. 

“Date. As in going on, I would assume would be involved. Back in my day, we would call it courting but really who had time for such things when it wasn’t terribly necessary?” Even Helena could get lost in her own thoughts… but verbally of course. 

“Helena if this isn’t going anywhere I’d rather get back to where we just were.” Myka drowsily replied. 

“I’m attempting to ask you, Myka Bering, to go on a date with me if you would be so kind.” Helena had pulled away from Myka completely and was surveying the other woman’s puzzled expression. “Do say something before your face completely ruins the moment.” 

Propped on top of H.G. Wells’ lap, Myka seemed to be having an absolute conniption. She had just been kissing the father of science fiction. H.G. Wells the famous author had just been running her hands up and down her body wantonly. The same person who had written all of Myka’s favorite books was there below her sucking at her neck as if she could drain Myka of each and every secret she had ever held. 

Failing to coax a single word from Myka at all, Helena's posture deflated and her tone grew cross. “Myka Bering, if you do not answer me right this second I will leave you here in this apartment as you have left me in this conversation.” 

“You are H.G. Wells.” Myka finally responds with a dropped jaw, looking dazed.

“Myka? Are you quite alright?” 

“I just kissed, well made out with really, the inventor of the time machine.” Myka did not seem to be addressing Helena but rather she was thinking out loud. “I’m straddling my favorite author. I mean I should totally be used to this kind of stuff but...”

“If you are quite done with this monologue of yours, Myka, “ Helena nearly barked from beneath her attempting to push her off of her, “I believe there are some things in the kitchen that are currently going without narration.” 

Finally snapping back to herself, Myka fought off Helena’s efforts to rid herself of Myka’s weight. “When I kiss you, you are Helena. You are the infuriating woman that has reeked havoc on my work ethic and belief system for years. I've thought about kissing her/you for.... god I don't even know.”

At this Helena scoffed but was intrigued by her confession.

“But when I think about it, when I really think about it and I feel   
you touching me, wanting me like you just were… I can’t believe it. I can’t believe that it’s actually happening. It seems so dumb when I say it out loud but you’re.. well you’re you and I’m just Myka Bering ex-CIA agent, ex-Warehouse agent, current resident of Colorado. It’s possibly one of the mind-blowing things the Warehouse has ever brought into my life.” 

Helena understood what she was referring to their connection, their current existence on the very same couch but she decided to have a go at Myka nonetheless, “Yes, I am quite mind-blowing aren’t I?” Helena's voice was cocky and polished, everything Myka hated that she loved when Helena was still public enemy #1. 

With a glare from Myka, Helena realized that she was not pleased. 

“There’s not much for me to say really, you already know so much, you said it yourself. I want you. I want you, Myka Ophelia Bering and I could not fathom my life without you in it, monologues and all. I may have made many names for myself, but the only one that matters is the one that you call me.”

Sensing that Helena had begun to win her over once more, Myka placed a kiss on the end of Helena’s nose. 

“Be careful, that’s an antique” Helena joked, kissing Myka slowly and softly in return. “Now if you would please answer me, I would be undoubtedly happy to come in off this ledge you've put me on.” 

“Yes. A date.” Myka finally conceded. 

“A date with Helena, unless you find Charles to be more to your liking….” Helena nipped at Myka’s bottom lip not waiting for a response but earning a frustrated huff just the same. 

“You were almost entirely charming. Almost." Myka reminded Helena before she had the chance to grow her ego any further. "Early on, I loathed that you were him, you know what I mean, H.G. It made you seem so sure of yourself, so irritatingly conceited and then I grew to adore it, depend on it. Yours is a brain of unthinkable mysteries and uncountable solutions, I never thought... well I never really thought that this would ever be possible." Myka leaned into Helena once more, savoring the taste of her lips, the warmth of her breath as she exhaled into Myka's wanting mouth and just the beginning of a cry for more. 

Displeased by Myka's teasing, Helena leans away from her only to move closer again to brush some of Myka's hair behind her ears. "You speak of mysteries and yet you remain oblivious to the greatest of them all, darling."

Myka raised a furrowed brow in return.

"How one could keep themselves from falling helplessly in love with you."

———————————————————

Looking back on the moment now, Myka knew she was capable of far more eloquent responses than pushing Helena down against the couch and ravishing her mouth, neck, and clavicles for an unforeseen amount of time. She had practiced far more sophisticated speeches than the way she had torn of Helena's shirt and threw it carelessly on the ground. If she really thought about, she could have been far more dignified but where would that have gotten them? 

She hadn't said it back, Helena had let really said she loved Myka but she might as well had. No, Myka spelled it out in hot kisses and needy hands, she showed Helena in the skill of her fingers against the other woman's body, still partially clothed. And as she teased as taunted Helena with light touches and demanding pressure, Myka was for once in a very long time incredibly direct about what she wanted. 

As Helena attempted to regain any control of her over-sensitive body and trembling muscles, Myka laid kisses against her temples with a naughty grin. "Oh dear lover, to think you call me the cocky one..."

Before Helena could follow through on any plans of her own, there was a knock at her door which sent her in search of proper clothing. Settling for a bathrobe, Helena partially opens the door to an apologetic Jeannie. "Is she here?" Her voice was filled with sorrow and uncertainty.

Searching for Myka, Helena found her pulling on some clothes from one of her boxes in the closet down the hall. Out of her mother's view, Myka shook her head, hoping that Helena would allow it. 

"I'm sorry Mrs. Bering but I'm afraid now is not a good time."

After a moment of silent contemplating, Jeannie responds solemnly,   
"I understand. Will you please tell her that her doctor called? It's time for her physical?"

Looking to Myka in confusion, Helena watched as she searched her things for her cell phone. No luck. 

"I will relay the message. Would you by chance happen to have brought Myka's phone with you?" Helena kindly inquired, hoping not to step on any toes.

Staring down at the floorboards, Jeannie nearly whispered, "No, Warren has taken care of it."

Not entirely sure what "take care of" included, Helena offered a simple "I see." As well as a "Well Mrs. Bering I will do as you have requested. Thank you."

Jeannie nodded as Helena closed the door and flipped the lock. 

"Does that mean what I think it means?" Helena asked, nearly certain she would be correct.

Myka nodded slowly, "I need to buy a new phone the next time we go out.

With a frustrated growl, Helena stomped down the hall towards her bedroom. 

Myka finds Helena antagonizing various hanging shirts and vests in her walk-in closet. Quickly deciding on two, Helena moodily dresses until she notices Myka's turned back. "If you intentions are to allow me my modesty, I'm afraid what you just did to me on the sofa nulls anything you could do now." Helena's tone is wit and flirtation through and through.

With a roll of the eyes, Myka turned to see Helena standing in her underwear clasping her bra behind her. 

"Much better" Helena responds.

Attempting to ignore the smugness on Helena's face, Myka addressed the issue at hand "and what is it exactly that you plan to say to Warren after sating his daughter on said couch?"

"Oh please. You are being naive, I have many more plans in the works to satisfy her."

Myka unamusedly glowered in response to Helena's focus on the scandalous. 

"I intend to insist that he come to reason. He no longer has society to blame for his shortcomings, it is in complete ignorance that he threw his own flesh and blood into the streets." 

Sitting down on Helena's bed, Myka laughed just a little to herself. "As poetic as that is, he's not going to budge. You might even end up throwing yourself in front of the target as well. He doesn't know about your... how did you put it? 'Many of my lovers were men' thing."

Quite proud of herself for shocking most of the team with that statement, Helena smirked. "Then he soon shall."

"Helena, let's just not. Not today. Give me a day...or two." It was obvious in her tone that Myka wasn't ready to fight, wasn't ready to take on her father and Helena relented. 

"All right, but-"

Curling up on the end of Helena's bed, Myka interrupted "Just say 'alright' and come hold me."

———————————————————

"You know what I don't understand," Helena announced breaking an hour or two of silent cuddling with Myka.

Realizing that Helena had been stewing over her situation, Myka huffed and adjusted to better see her face. "The purpose of afternoon cuddle?"

"You could at least pretend to be curious." Helena retorted before returning to her earlier thought, "Warren wasn't even fond of Peter and from what you've said, he was determined to make you return to him regardless. How does that make sense?"

Sympathetically, Myka ran a fingertip across Helena's furrowed brows. "You are attempting to make sense of a man who does not follow any kind of rule book when it comes to parenting. I think Pete being a man made him acceptable but I guess it didn't make him likeable? Or maybe he would dislike anyone I'm with because he knows more than he'd like to about me."

Helena thought for a moment and exhaustedly flopped her head back onto the mattress in defeat. "How logic escapes so many will always be a mystery to me." 

"I adore you for trying, but you're better off just sticking to the facts. What Warren doesn't want, he doesn't allow."

At that moment, a series of beeps sent Helena and Myka's eyes to the cell phone on the bedside table.   
"That will be Claudia, I imagine," Helena informed Myka as she reached across her waist to confirm her suspicion. "I'm sure your absence from the textual world has sent her into a tizzy." 

Looking at her phone, Helena untwined herself from Myka sat up to brush her fingers through her hair. "I can't believe it's so late in the day. Shall I make us lunch? Dinner? Whatever you might call it now, I think it a better idea to order in. I'm afraid I have yet to master any culinary skills."

Following Helena's lead, Myka sat up and began to contemplate food options. "This is going to sound dramatic but I'm not hungry."

"All right, sweets it is." Helena's voice was uncharacteristically chipper as she crawled off the bed. 

"Hel-"

"If you are about to spout that lie about not eating sugar, you should stop now," Helena warned with a bit of a smirk.

"Fine but I'm picking the movie." Myka stubbornly spat in return. 

"A movie? Is this to be some sad excuse for a date?" Helena asked, teasingly poking the tip of Myka's nose. 

"More like a mental health day with all the essentials," Myka informed Helena from her seated position on the bed.

"The essentials being tea, sex, cuddles, cookies, and a movie?" Helena counted each out on her fingers for Myka to see. 

Myka nodded proudly with a grin.

"I should have known I was being used." Helena chided as she excused herself to make a call for delivery. 

Myka stayed in Helena's room enjoying the comfort that was growing between them. If only every moment could be so easy. If only this could be their new reality. She knew better than to wish for simplicity.


End file.
